


That Time I Got Reincarnated?

by GottaArc



Category: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime- Fuse, 転生したらスライムだった件 - 伏瀬 | Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken | Regarding Reincarnated to Slime - Fuse
Genre: Hopefully some fluff, Multi, Reader Death, Reader Insert, Reincarnation, Reverse Harem, fairly slow burn, honestly a little op but so is Rimuru soooo, manga/anime/light novel mix, spirit reader - Freeform, you do get cut in half though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:40:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 29,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28637928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GottaArc/pseuds/GottaArc
Summary: You were just a normal worker, trying to riddle your way through the process of 'adulting'; you'd wake up, get to work, go home, and spend all night playing games. What you could have never expected was one fateful night when your friend drags you out on an unwanted date, and your gaming days come to an unfortunate end! Reawakened in a new, strange body, you find yourself swept up in the chaos of the developing country of tempest!
Relationships: Benimaru (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken)/Reader, Diablo (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken)/Reader, Leon Cromwell (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken)/Reader, Rigur II/reader, Rimuru Tempest/Reader, Shion (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken)/Reader, Souei (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken)/Reader, Veldora Tempest/ Reader
Comments: 37
Kudos: 118





	1. My Game?!

_You stumbled through a dark forest blindly, the breath heaving from your body in short bursts that seemed nonexistent. There was distant growling behind you; you knew what it was coming from (or at least you knew, that you knew) but for some reason, you couldn’t place a word to it. You could feel adrenaline coursing through your veins. It was getting louder by the second; closer. You could practically feel it ready to claw for you, but you weren’t scared._

_No; you were invigorated._

_Just as it might have reached out a single claw to slice you- something attacked it. You felt wind hit you, pressing against your back and causing you to stumble forward. You spin on your heel, annoyed; someone had ended your game, and they would be facing your irritancy. There near you was a small green...goblin of some sort, riding a rather large wolf. Somehow, you knew this wasn't the perpetrator; you tried for a name, but found that your mind drew nothing but a blank._

_“Alright! This’ll make a fine meal!” He says, and he grins up at you. Your gaze turns farther to your left-- and you are met with another person, this time with horns. This was the one who took down the beast, then._

_”You both should know better than to draw your games this close to Tempest.” His stern gaze goes first from the goblin then to you, and he frowns. "You know there are kids who like to play around here, y/n."_

_You sigh, but comply, and a strange familiarity drives the words from your mouth before you could really think about them._

_”We’ll be more careful...You’re such a buzzkill, Benimaru.”_

*****

“-n! Y/n!” 

You blink your eyes open slowly, brows furrowed. What a weird dream... what a strange name for anyone. You look up, greeted by the familiar scenery of your office job. When had you drifted off?

”You fell asleep again. Did you stay up all night playing those MMO’s?” Your coworker, a young woman named Misuzu who had joined the company shortly after you, prodded in a huffing manner. 

“Ah, yeah, I guess so,” you respond sheepishly, rubbing the back of your neck. “But I did have a big raid going on last night!” You leapt to defend yourself. She scoffs, turning and sitting back properly in her own seat. 

“I wonder if you sometimes listen to yourself; if you don’t start going out and experiencing the world, you’ll never get a boyfriend! What ever happened to living life to the fullest!” She nags you a bit, but you just chuckle and go back to your paperwork. She reminded you of a nagging parent in a lot of ways, despite her being younger than you; she had a real delinquent streak in her, talking to her ‘elder’ in that way (there was only a year or two between you both, but that didn’t stop you from mentioning it more often than you should). 

“You know, life doesn’t have to be just drinks and boyfriends,” you argue, stamping something and setting it to the side. 

“Spoken like someone who has neither,” she retorts. 

“You don’t gotta rub it in,” You grumble. It wasn’t your fault dating had been a complete disaster for you even after high school; it just happened that no one stuck around for much longer than a month at a time. The thought of being set up on any more awkward blind dates sent a shiver down your spine. At this point you had pretty much just accepted that you were gonna grow old alone; maybe you’d become some sort of weird old lady that all the little kids called a witch or something, who knows. You looked forward to the day you could get on mic during a game and young ones would say, “Ehhh?! What’s a granny doing here?” Only for you to whoop them at whatever game they were playing. You’d no doubt get some good laughs over it... as an old lady that is.

At any rate, your work wouldn’t do itself; cracking your knuckles, you set yourself to your job despite the impending boredom it would bring. 

*****

A few hours passed; people began to slowly filter out of the office as their various hours came to an end. You remained, typing away. The only other person who stuck around was Misuzu, although you somehow doubted she was doing any work at all; rather she seemed to be goofing off. An uneasy feeling began to settle in the pit of your stomach; was she waiting for you? You peek around to look, and see her messing around on her phone.

”You don’t have to wait for me...” You say, a bit confused. 

“Ah, but of course I should wait for the fourth member of my double date tonight.”

You freeze. A what now?!

”A date?!” You ask in disbelief. You could practically see the horns sprout from your coworkers head. 

“OH, did I forget to tell you? My boyfriend’s cousin is single too, and I agreed to take you on a double date with us! It’s the perfect chance for you to mingle!”

”Misuzu, what did I tell you about just throwing me into these things?!” You spin around, looking at the time. When had it actually gotten that late?! “I don’t even have time to get ready! What would I even wear?!”

Misuzu waves you off. 

“Don’t even worry about that, it’s casual; you can just go as you are.”

”In this?!!” You motion to your office attire. She hums, and nods. 

“Yeah, that’s fine. Are you done yet? We can meet them at the station; we’re going downtown.”

*****

You had followed after Misuzu, and sure enough, her boyfriend and his —cousin, did she say?— were there waiting. Well, looks wise he wasn’t bad; glasses, tall, decently handsome if a bit plain. He introduced himself as Nakamura Yuto, and you went ahead and introduced yourself as well. He didn’t talk much; but you did note that Misuzu and her boyfriend sure seemed to be chatting it up the entire time. Soon enough, you were walking downtown to a bar Misuzu enjoyed; the pair walked ahead of you two, and you felt a bit like a fourth wheel. The awkwardness between the two of you was beginning to be too much to bare.

Just as you were mentally preparing yourself to start small talk, he said something.

”My cousin said that you play games,” he asks.

You sigh internally with relief; thank goodness for a topic you could chat about easily!

”Ah, yeah. I play a lot of RPG MMO’s, actually, especially {insert game here}. Actually, I had been planning on playing tonight, but that kind of got cancelled on short notice...” You trailed off as it struck you suddenly that you had planned a raid that night. Your guild members were going to kill you; what’s a raid without the guild leader, anyways? You could already feel the scorn for not warning them ahead of time that you wouldn’t be showing.

“Trash.” 

You double take. Did he just—?

”I’m sorry, what?” You ask, to make sure you aren’t hearing him incorrectly.

”Those games are trash. Only newbs and casuals play those. You play any shooters? You know, the real stuff?” He asks. You feel a sudden irritation bubble beneath the surface of your skin. 

“Yeah, I guess they aren’t really for everybody... I’ve played a few shooters,” You say. You were actually fairly decent at quite a few different shooter games, but the way this guy was acting, you figured you wouldn’t mention it. If you ever came across him on mic though you sure would whoop his ass...

The walk to the bar seemed to drag on and on. Not much else was said between you and Nakamura, at least not until you got to the bar and sat down. You were already tired of being out by the time you arrived; an hour in, you were exhausted of the entire situation. Misuzu was a good friend of yours, but if she EVER drags you out on another one of these excursions with some bum like this again you would straight up have to kick her in the shin. You didn’t even bother drinking anything. Misuzu, however, went a bit overboard; she was practically swaying in her seat.

”Please excuse me for a few moments,” You say, getting up to head to the restroom.

”Hurry—“ She pauses for a moment, as if contemplating what she had been in the middle of saying, “—back!”

You walk in, and stare at your disheveled self in the bathroom mirror. Your scrunch up your nose, glaring at yourself.

”Why do you always let yourself get caught up in this stuff? You should be at home reaping to rewards of that high-level boss...”

With a sigh, you attempt feebly to put yourself back to looking presentable, wash your hands, and take a deep breath before heading back out there. You were a few steps away from the booth seats when you pause.

”I’m telling you, she isn’t my type at all!” Ah, that sounded like Nakamura. “She’s been glaring at me this whole time; won’t even talk to me! Does she even know how to entertain someone? She’s so rude.” Had you been glaring? You hadn’t done it intentionally, if so.

”Come on, Y/n is just a bit grumpy because I invited her on short notice! She really is a lovely girl when you get to know her.” Well, at least Misuzu was on your side.

”I don’t know Misuzu, she has been a bit off-putting this whole time...” That sounded like her boyfriend. Of course he would side with his relative.

”Exactly!” Nakamura butts in. “I bet she wouldn’t be a loving wife at all! Probably can’t even take care of herself, let alone be someone’s girlfriend!”

You turn on your heel, walking away from the table and out the door.

**Y/n: hey, something came up. Had to leave early. Sorry.**

**Misuzu: What? Is everything alright?**

**You better not be leaving just to play games.**

**_(read 10:32)_ **

**You seriously left me on read?!?!?**

**Y/n!!!**

You ignore the buzz of your phone, and focus on making your way back to the train station. The streets were fairly empty; except for a few drunks stumbling their way home and a couple passing groups of friends out for a good time, everything was quiet. You made your way back to the train station. You’d have to catch the last train at 11:00 and book it back to a station that was only a few blocks away from your apartment. 

The station was more full than you expected-- people probably trying to get home from a night out, just like you. You were practically asleep where you stood; at this rate you’d crash as soon as you got home instead of playing for a while. Oh well, I guess. 

There were quiet murmurs for the most part; there was that strange sort of loneliness you get standing in any train station at night, but other than that, nothing seemed off. The train would come, you’d get on, then go home.

Or at least, that’s how it should’ve went. 

Instead, there came a sudden disturbance from within the small crowd; shouts went up in multiple directions. You could hear some one screaming about a purse snatcher, but you couldn’t really see exactly where it had come from. You turned in an attempt to spot the ruckus, but instead, you were met quite literally with the problem. 

A hunched form knocked into you with such speed that you lose your balance; you stumble backwards across the line, and go head over heel off the platform. The pain shot across your head, then your back. The world felt like it was spinning, and there was a certain ringing in your ears. Time felt sluggish, almost impossible to comprehend. There were voices from the platform, but they sounded distant, like you were listening through a wall. 

You rush to your feet, but stumble; you were unsteady. You couldn’t deny the concussion you had, but the pain seemed to get stronger the cleaner your vision got.

You turn, trying find the platform in a well of spots and a spinning world, and see a man reaching out for you. What was he saying, exactly? His mouth was moving but the ringing in your ears made him sound like he was mumbling. You take an unsteady step forward, then another, reaching out for his hand with your own. He would help you back to the platform. But just as you were about to touch his fingers with your own, there was a loud, undeniable screeching.

The train. 

You didn’t know why; you froze. Time froze. Everything seemed so slow, but so fast, like the moment could go on forever even though it was only happening in an instant. The sparks and grinding from the train were futile; it wouldn’t be stopping in time. 

You felt the man try and yank you out of the way, but the grip was too loose; the train ripped you away from him. 

At first, there was an explosion of pain; every bit of you hurt. You could feel your own flesh ripping apart, feel the crush of your bones, the breaking of tissues.

_Stop!_ You were screaming in your mind. _Stop this pain!_

[Skill Acquired: Pain Nullification]

An absolute nothingness consumed your collective mind, followed by a strange calm. You knew that there would likely be no coming out of this alive. You didn’t even have a chance to cry out. Then again, you supposed it didn’t much matter in the moment; no one would hear you over the train. Even the screaming voices of the small crowd on the platform failed to rip away the moment, in all it’s empty nothingness. Your vision was fading quickly, and yet your thoughts were raging. Had the train ever stopped? Were you still moving?

_I should have stayed with Misuzu. Or better yet, I shouldn’t have let her push me into coming out at all. I wish I didn’t let people tell me what to do so much._

[Skill acquired: command break.]

_I guess she meant well though. Maybe this is a fitting death; I didn’t have much anyways. I hope Misuzu does well in life; maybe she’ll marry a good guy in my stead, since I wouldn’t have been able to find anyone anyways._

[Skill acquired: Find]

_What a strange voice... dying must make me delusional... hah, what a funny way to put it. If only they had a guide or encyclopedia or something for when you’re dying._

[Skill acquired: encyclopedia.]

_Sure would be nice to have someone explain what this voice even is...it’s starting to get on my nerves._

[Searching for ‘explain’... failed. Upgrading encyclopedia skill to Tutor instead.]

_Are you... mocking me? Don’t boss me around..._

[Upgrade “command break” to Boss.]

Your vision faded to black, but for some reason, you began to feel like you were floating.

*****

You awoke... or at least you think you woke up. 

You were bitter, sure. You still had no idea what that voice had been, and you were fairly certain you were dead.

Just to test your theory, you tried moving, but found that you couldn’t.

_Great, I get to sit like a lump on a log for all of eternity._

[Correction, you are in transit.]

This definitely wasn’t the same voice from before; this one was masculine. 

_Who’s there?_

[I’m one of your skills, Tutor.]

_That sounds kind of lame..._

There was no response from Tutor. Guess you insulted him, if a random voice in your head could have feelings.

_Hey, what do you mean by skills? What the hell do you mean by transit if I’m dead? How am I supposed to have a body?_

[Skills are special abilities you acquired based on your desires.]

He gave you no other answer. Guess he can only answer one question at a time. What a load off.

It felt like you just floated there alone in the abyss forever, but soon your consciousness faded, and you felt like you were in a deep slumber. 

When you awoke, you were confused as to where you were. You opened your eyes to early morning skies, and sat up quickly (you were mildly surprised you could move at all). You scrambled to think of where you could possibly be, and looked at your hands. You blink once; twice. They looked like they belonged to you, but... what was this weird feeling you had? They felt different; like they belonged to someone else. Had you just...showed up in a new body? When you died you had been in pieces, you were pretty sure. Where did this body come from, then?

[Answer: your soul needed a vessel; summoners hoping for a spirit abandoned this one. It took a shape similar to that of your previous life.]

”So I’m Not... human anymore? What am I?” You were having a hard time grasping all of this. A vessel for your soul?

[Technically speaking you are human. The vessel is simply a working body for you; a platform for you to hold.]

”So I do all the normal human things then?” 

There was no answer, so you just figured that meant yes. You sigh and stand up, looking over the body. The clothing was simple, but definitely not anything close to what you wore in your previous life. This looked like it could have been starting gear in a game...

Wait... game? Your game!!!

”Son of a bitch!” You curse, falling to your knees. You never got to go on the raid!!! Now you would never reap the rewards of that precious boss defeat! Your guild was left leaderless forever! You pound your fist against the ground with a grunt.

Well... there was no turning back now. You stand again, looking around. You were in a clearing in some sort of forest; if your body actually worked like a humans, then you should probably find a water source. You knew little to nothing about surviving in the wilderness, but that might as well be the place to start.

It felt like you had been wandering for hours; there was hardly any sign of life around you, despite you being alone in a forest. It was kind of... creepy. You did eventually stumble across a stream; you knelt down and looked at your reflection in the water. It still looked like you, but something was just enough off that it sent a slight shiver down your spine. Something in the way your face was just a little too smooth, or the way your hair was just a little too clean for having woken up in a forest. It would take some time for you to get used to this; you could only hope it wasn't as noticeable to others (if you ever encountered them, that is). 

"AHHHHHH-" 

Speak of the devil-

You practically jumped out of your body (ha-ha) when a chorus of screams ripped through the forest. You didn't have any weapons on you, but you'd be damned if you didn't at least investigate (or attempt to help, but it was hard to help if they were already dead when you got there). You ran in the direction of the shout (at a surprising speed-- perhaps it was a side affect of not having literal muscles?), and you could feel the tremble of the earth. Was there some sort of a stampede going on?

You break away from the trees into what could have been a cleared path, and turn frantically to find the issue. 

What you didn't expect was to be passed by a man on the run-- no, there were several people running. Two men, and two women, to be exact, although one of them wore a pretty auspicious mask.

The man in the front shouts some gibberish at you, and you are very confused as to what he could possibly be telling you. Was it another language?

You didn't have much time to contemplate; your eyes widen when you catch sight of what they were running from, and you book it in the same direction. 

_Are those giant ants?!! One day here and I'm already going to be eaten!!_

[Correct, a common monster who travels in groups; these ones must have been provoked somehow.]

_Thanks for your wise input tutor, really useful._

One of them-- the blonde girl, looks at you over her shoulder, and says something to you; you could hear what she said clearly, but still could not make any sense of it. Definitely a different language, then-

[Analyzing sample... analysis complete. Would you like to learn this language?]

You were mildly surprised by the request; it couldn't possibly be that easy, right? Yeah sure. 

"-oi, are you deaf or what?!" The one with longer hair in the front said. "What are you doing out in the middle of this forest?!" You blink in confusion, but get defensive.

"I could ask you the same thing, bub!" You shout, skeptical. The words falling from your lips felt foreign, but you could comprehend what you were saying. You thank tutor, but receive no response. You were just glad it worked; it made your life easier, since you had never been that good in foreign language classes anyways.

There was no time for anyone to respond; the dark haired girl stopped, turning to the ants.

"Shizu-san!" The blonde girl says, and the whole group comes to a skidding halt. Ah, so her name is Shizu then... wait, that sounds Japanese, doesn't it?

Shizu pulled out a sword, and it lit on fire. You could hardly follow her movements; she was jumping from ant to ant, slicing them. Flames and explosions popped off left and right, and you found yourself in awe. She was really taking care of the whole lot all alone-- she must be super experienced or something.

[Analyzing individuals movements. Would you like to learn this method?]

You were momentarily stunned. You could learn techniques like this just by watching? Wasn't that a little bit... overpowered? It felt like cheating. You supposed you shouldn't be complaining, though, skills like those would come in handy; this was real, after all. You'd have to remind yourself that this wasn't some sort of game; this was your life now. _Yes._

It only took a few moments, but all of the ants were down. Or at least, that was what it looked like, until one of them reared up. Shizu stumbled over.

It looked like the end for her; You moved before you could properly think about it, shielding her body, ignoring the shouts of the other three. To yours (and probably the others shock) a bolt of... black lightning, with an enormous amount of power, struck the ant, obliterating it. You might as well have been shaking in your boots; you could feel the static in the air from it, and the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end. You look down to see that Shizu's mask had blown off; she was actually particularly pretty, but she had some burn marks under one of her eyes. You wondered what they were from for a moment before a voice spoke up.

"Ah, that's a bit too powerful too... Guess I'll just have to stash that skill away." 

Your head whips in the direction of the voice, but you're met with...

"A slime?" The others say, just as dumbfounded as you felt. Was this the one commanding the lightning?

[A slime; a small, gelatinous being who usually has low intelligence and-]

_I know what a slime is, dammit!_

You'd be lying though if you said you weren't still shocked.

"Got a problem with slimes?" it asks, sounding mildly offended.

"No..." The self-proclaimed party leader says, looking a bit wary. A shiver runs down your back; you wouldn't want to mess with something controlling that lightning either, being honest. The little blue mass slugged its way over, and held out the mask to Shizu.

"This belongs to you, right miss?"

Shizu takes it gingerly, probably still processing the appearance of this slime. 

"I haven't really used that skill much, so I'm not entirely sure how to control it yet. Neither of you were hurt, were you?" The slime seems to look between yourself and Shizu, and you quickly shake your head 'no'. 

"I think we're both fine," Shizu says, smiling at him. "You saved us. Thank you."

A groan comes from one of the party members (you really needed to learn their names-- if only your skill could teach you that).

[I can only interpret general information, or reteach previously analyzed information. Knowledge in meta-data--like names-- is way out of my pay grade.]

_You aren't getting paid at all!! Why are you so sassy all of a sudden if you're just a skill?_

[My name is tutor.]

_....fair enough I guess._

"Are any of you hurt too?" The slime asks, perking up as if he was snapping out of some daze.

"No, more just mentally exhausted. We've been running for three days now.."

So you had just accidentally shown up towards the end, then. You hadn't even existed in this world for that long; you could hardly imagine running for three days (not that you were sure it would matter in this new body of yours). Their grievances piled up, and they all spilt their woes out to the slime. You were starting to wonder how they had even made it this far, with no supplies, broken gear, and empty stomachs. 

"Well, if you insist, we can offer you some humble food to fill your stomachs," the slime says, whipping around and beginning to move.

"Do you live around here?" The blonde one asks curiously. 

"Just moved into the neighborhood. Actually, we're building the neighborhood right now."

This small statement caused an uproar among the three adventurers; you, on the other hand, were mostly curious. Most the time, monsters were portrayed as vile and uncivilized; you had a gut feeling that the same imagery was applied in in this world. But for them to be building a town was fascinating; besides, you doubted other humans would accept you as you currently were. If anything, these monsters might be more understanding than anyone else. You were only partly listening to them squabbling about how dangerous a monster town could be when the slime spoke up.

"I'm Rimuru! I'm not a bad slime, you know!"

You had to hold back a loud chuckle; it came out as a muffled cough, but you heard Shizu snicker as well. Your gaze turned back to her immediately. Did she.. understand that reference? Was that even intentional by this slime? It had to be coincidence, but you had a sneaking suspicion that it really was a reference on this Rimuru's part. 

Before you can say much more, Shizu walks over and picks up the slime, holding him (did slimes have gender? You weren't sure). 

"We should take him up on that. I'm sure we can trust this slime," she says, rather blatantly. She turns in the direction he was presumably heading, but walks ahead of the group at just far enough a distance that you can't hear what her and Rimuru are talking about. You were just about torn between walking a little faster to try and snoop or respecting their privacy, when the other three addressed you.

"We never did get a proper introduction," the leader says. He points to himself. "I'm Kaval, that's Gido, and that's Elen. We're a party scouting the Jura forest. You?" He asks. 

"Name's Y/n," you say, although it felt a bit strange when the name spilt from your lips; it felt wrong somehow to use it on yourself, and you felt like something shifted inside of yourself. Was it really alright to keep the same name after being reborn? Well, you saw no harm in it, and you were never very good at coming up with new names anyhow. It suddenly occurs to you that he was also asking your reason for being in the forest, and you scramble for an answer. "I was, uh... scouting for herbs?" You try, sounding a bit too unsure for your own liking. That was a typical thing for people to do, right? Scout for herbs in the forest?

"This deep in the forest?" Gido asks, raising an eyebrow. 

"Oh, you must have been looking for the good stuff, right? I hear the pickings get better the further into the forest you go!" Elen butts in, nudging you with a grin. You internally sigh. Thank goodness for Elen...

"Yeah, that's exactly it!" You agree quickly, forcing a grin. "I wasn't expecting to get drawn up in a stampede of giant ants, though..."

"Oh, that wouldn't have happened if Kaval hadn't poked the nest..." Elen snickers. Kaval jumps to his own defense, and the three of them begin to bicker with each other once again. You sigh, but smile at them. _I guess it's alright that they were the first people I met here. They don't seem too bad, after all._

Your gaze turns back to Shizu and Rimuru, and you can't help but let your mind wander to the implications of their actions.

**TO BE CONTINUED....**


	2. 2. Is this Goodbye?

You'd be lying if you said you weren't drooling at the food before you; the smell was tantalizing, and you hadn’t eaten... well, at all yet since you woke up in the forest. There hadn't been much chance, after all.

The other three were bickering loudly over different pieces; while it was mildly entertaining, you had other matters at hand. Because you hadn't been here long enough, or had much time... You didn't even properly understand your own body. Could you even eat? Drink? Sleep? Maybe you didn't actually need to, but refusing this food might seem rude and quite suspicious to the others...

"Y/n-san, why haven't you touched your food?" Shizu asks you. Her tone was soft, and for a moment you felt an almost grandmotherly enactment wash over her features right before your eyes. You quickly wave your hands, as if it would wave away any strange suspicion they might have of you.

"Ah- I'm just taking my time deciding which pieces are best," You say, probably a bit too quickly. You see her gaze flicker down to the way you were sitting-- ah, when had you sat seiza? Had you done it unconsciously?-- and her and the slime seem to share a look. Their intense, and now combined gazes, turn back to you, and you suddenly feel as though you are under intense scrutiny.

"Y/n, where are you from?" Shizu asks, blatantly. You freeze. 

"Ah, you know, around-"

"Like Japan?" Rimuru butts in. You sigh.

"I guess you got me..." You furrow your brow. "Then does that make you both-"

Shizu simply nods to you, and you are struck with such a wave of relief at there being others like you here, in this world. You were afraid you would be left alone in your experiences; but having others made you feel like maybe, just maybe, you could belong just a bit more here, in this place you could never again leave. 

Shizu turns, and you follow her gaze down to where Rimuru was steaming.

”Oh, Mr. Slime... why are you touching that burning hot plate?”

Rimuru seems to panic and jumps away, and you can see the spot where he had been leaning was burned in a small rectangular shape.

”Ah.. I could have melted myself there...” He trails off, waving around the small burnt spot as if to cool it down.

”The fact that you didn’t suggests that maybe you have a resistance to heat,” she trails off.

”Resistance?” You ask, staring down at your own hand. Did you have any resistances? You couldn't quite recall...

[You only possess pain nullification. You currently possess no resistances.]

_Couldn’t I just learn it or whatever by watching, like I did earlier?_

[No. You can only learn skills; resistances must be obtained in the traditional way.]

_The hell is the traditional way?_

...

You received no answer from Tutor. 

“Those who pass here from another world are granted the kind of power that they yearned for. Sometimes they’re skills, sometimes they’re resistances,” Shizu explains. She sips at the drink in her hands (although you wondered poignantly how she was doing so through her mask). 

“...in my last life, I got stabbed to death.” Rimuru begins. Your eyes dart to him; stabbed to death? So he had been reincarnated here, like you!... well, sort of like you. “First my back felt hot, then I began to feel cold as the blood drained from my body.” You felt yourself shudder at the thought. Suddenly having gone rather quickly by train seemed merciful; you could hardly imagine having to sit and wait to die like that. It must’ve been awful. “I bet that was how I ended up with this resistance.”

”I see... that must have been terrible...” Shizu trails off.

”Yeah, I guess...” he winds off, as if lost in thought.

”I can hardly imagine how awful that must’ve been; mine happened so fast, I only felt it for a second...” You trail off awkwardly. Their attention turns to you.

”You too?” Shizu asks, sounding surprised. You just nod, feeling a bit awkward.

”Were you stabbed too?” Rimuru asks. You shake your head quickly.

”Nah, I got hit by a train.”

”A train?!” You could swear you saw a shiver travel across his slime body. Did that really bother him that much? “...How?”

”Purse snatcher knocked me off the platform at the wrong time.” You state bluntly, with a shrug. A heavy silence hung over the three of you for a few moments, as if you were paying respects to the lives you had left behind. 

“Shizu, right?” Rimuru begins again after a while. “Don’t you have a similar story of your own? I saw you using fire in that battle against the giant ants. Was that a power you yearned for when you came here?”

”No... it wasn’t,” Shizu responds immediately. There's a certain tenseness in her voice. She reaches up for her mask. “The flames are a curse to me.”

”A curse?” You say, barely above a whisper.

”What do you mean?” Rimuru adds.

”The last thing I saw in the other world...” she slides her mask off, and there’s a raw, far off look in her eyes. “...was a wall of fire. I saw my hometown dyed in crimson flame, amidst frightening sounds of roaring and cracking.”

”Was it ...the bombing?” Rimuru asks hesitantly. 

“I believe so. They call it the Bombing of Tokyo, don’t they? My pupil hails from Japan, and so I’ve come to understand that is what the incident is called in History classes,” Shizu confirms. You perk at the mention of a pupil from Japan; just how many people came over form the other worlds? Was it really so common?

”I see... So when you reincarnated, you came here...” Rimuru concludes. 

“Oh no, I didn’t die.” You choke on your drink. If she didn’t die... How is she so young? She didn’t reincarnate? How did she even get here then? “A man summoned me here.” _Oh._ “He looked quite crestfallen, so he immediately seemed to lose interest in me. But then, out of some sort of whim, he attached a fire spirit to me.” This in particular caught your attention. Attached it? Like in the same sense you were attached to your vessel? “It gave me the power to manipulate flame... but it was also a curse. Because it was the very power that took the people most precious to me.... Ever since then, I’ve been afraid of getting too close to others.” Suddenly the wistful and sad look in her eyes was replaced by a different one; one more fond. There was a soft smile on her lips as her gaze fell upon the three squabbling adventurers in the tent. ”But it is nice to have companions. I met some pleasant people here on my final journey.” Final? “They trust one another, and thus bicker openly about anything they want. They’re good adventurers.” She chuckles just a bit, before adding softly, “Maybe not the most talented though.”

You laugh as well. “Tell me about it; I’ve only known them for maybe a day at most and from the start they brought about trouble.” You both laugh at the antics of the other three, but Rimuru looks more lost in thought.

”Shall we go and walk off the feast?” He says, directed at Shizu. She hums, and nods.

”Of course. Y/n?” She asks, looking at you expectantly. You look between the two of them, then shake your head. You weren’t really sure what it was, but you figured those two should be left to their own devices for now; they had a certain connection about them, you were certain of it. 

“You guys go ahead; I sill haven’t eaten, remember?” You say, waving around a piece of meat. You noticed that the goblin that had greeted you all when you arrived (you vaguely recall that his name is Rigurd) had brought more food, along with two smaller goblins, one male with a bandana and the other female with two ponytails.

Rimuru and Shizu leave quickly, and you watch the other three fight over the food dejectedly. You still had no idea as to whether or not you could eat anything; and Tutor, for one reason or another, would not help you with this fact. You’d think That something important, like bodily functions, should be taught, but apparently not.

”Is the food not to your satisfaction?” Rigurd asks, leaning down and setting aside a bowl with more. “You haven’t had a bite.”

You wave ferociously, as if it would bat away his worries.

”That’s not it! I’m just, uh... not very hungry, I ate fairly recently!” You say, quickly making up an excuse. He simply hums, but nods before returning to his place. You felt a bit awkward, so you of course decided to just... talk more. What else could you do? “Your name is Rigurd, right? Who are the other two, if it’s alright that I ask?”

”Of course; this is my son, Rigur, and this is a member of our village, Haruna.” He says, motioning to each of them respectively.

“Nice to meet you,” you say, smiling at them.

”Likewise!” The girl, Haruna, replies, grinning brightly. They seemed very kind; you wondered if it was due to Rimuru’s influence or if it was of their own volition. Either way, you could appreciate it. The one with a bandana, however— Rigur— furrows his brows at you.

”What are you?” He asks, obviously very confused. You break into a sweat (or at least if felt like it— could this body even sweat? Your questions were really beginning to pile up). So the monsters could tell?! You suddenly felt squeamish in their presence, like you were caught changing or something.

”Rigur! You can’t just go asking personal questions like that to our guests!” Rigurd says, scolding his son. You wave him off, laughing awkwardly.

”No no, it’s fine; I’m pretty much human, as far as I can tell,” you say, rubbing the back of your neck awkwardly. It wasn’t really a lie; you had a human soul as far as you were concerned. This only seemed to confuse the goblin more.

”But-“

He was halted in his next question as there was a loud explosion in the distance. Everyone was immediately on their feet, and you followed the three adventurers out of the tent. There, not particularly far from the camp, was a large pillar of flames. Before you knew it, you were rushing towards the scene behind the other three; you couldn’t waste any time.

”Hey, you up here, Rimuru?!” Kaval, who was running ahead (he was surprisingly fast even in his armor, you noticed) asked as soon as you reached the scene. “We saw a huge pillar of fire burst out of no...where?!” Alarm settled over the group as soon as eyes laid upon the source of the flames. “Wait, is that Shizu? What’s going on?...”

Gido seemed to stiffen up, as if a sudden realization had struck him suddenly. 

“Shizu...Like Shizue? Shizue Izawa? It couldn’t be... the very same?!” he seems to mutter to himself.

”Spit it out man!” you spur, annoyed at his hesitance. Was he being dramatic or what?

Suddenly, Shizu reaches out a single finger and swept up; another pillar of flames arose, and you could feel the wind and heat wash over you. Everyone fell to the ground, as if to escape the searing temperature to the safety of the cool ground. 

“That’s her alright!” he finally continues when he can. “She’s the conqueror of flames, Shizue Izawa. The greatest elementalist alive— she harbors Ifrit inside of her!!”

Shock ripples through the three; you would be lying if you said you weren’t more surprised at her reputation. 

“Ifrit?! That’s like, a crazy high level spirit!” Elen exclaims. 

“Are you kidding?! She’s a legendary hero!” Kaval adds, sounding particularly peeved.

You were still focused on the task at hand; you wondered how they could so casually focus on that when there was a threat right in front of them. _Could you focus for a minute, please?!_

“You folks should get moving now, while you—“

”That’s not gonna happen.” Kaval jumps in, interrupting Rimuru. “I have no idea why she’s suddenly turned hostile...”

”...But she’s our companion.” Gido finishes strongly.

”We can’t just ignore this!” Elen adds.

”We’re staying here to help,” you say, glaring at the flames. The word ‘curse’ rang in your ears; you hadn’t known Shizu that long, but you’d be damned if you’d let whatever spirit was inside of her rip her to pieces.

”...All right, just be careful.” He seemed to hesitate, but at least Rimuru had let you all stay. You had all began to advance towards Shizu, but then something tremendously heart-breaking happened.

**”Get...away.”**

It was wrangled, like she had to fight to even say it. It was horrifying. 

**“I can’t hold it back...you must....get away from me.”**

She held her own head, and you could see the sadness and despair in her eyes.

**”plea....se....hel...p....”** It was faint, but it was at that moment that you steeled yourself to save her. You weren’t sure you cared what it would take; you’d help her, and that was that. After all, what kind of person would you be if you turned tail and ran now?

”Ha ha... who would’ve though thought we’d wind up fighting a hero from the past?” Kaval says, and although he is determined, you can still hear that unsure waver in his voice.

”You never know where life will take you next,” Gido spits back, holding his knife out in front of him. 

“Gido, you have another knife I could use?” you ask him, despite the fact you have pretty much zero experience wielding one. You figured that would be better than being weaponless; what else could you possibly do?

You glared as the flames combined to create the form of a man with literally flaming hair around Shizu’s body; this must be Ifrit. 

“Ifrit, let me ask you this!” Rimuru begins, in a surprisingly booming voice from the back of a large horned wolf. You didn't know where the wolf had come from, but you figured now wasn't the best time to ask. “Do you have some purpose here?!”

He slowly raises his arm, pointing up. Your gaze follows him arm upwards, and your eyes widen when you see balls of flame begin appearing in the sky. Kaval jumps in front of the group just as Ifrit brings them down upon you all, blocking many of them with his sword. Elen drags you down and you can hear the party's cries around you.

“Y-yeow! Hot!!!” 

“I’m gonna die!”

”It’s all over, we’re screwed!!!”

You thought you heard a distant question form Rimuru, but it was hard to make out over the other three and the whoosh of flames coming down around you. He must’ve decided the answer for himself, because you didn’t hear anymore from him. 

Kaval catches some flames on one of his fingers, and his swords swerves for just a moment. Your body moves before you could really process what was happening; one of the the flames makes a direct hit to your stomach.

”Y/n!” They shout, and you look down.

You had only felt an intense heat, then nothing; you look down and see a gaping hole in your stomach. Your insides were hollow; the edges of the hole were dripping blackened clay (or perhaps it was glass now?).

”There’s a hole in you!!!” Kaval says frantically, putting his sword back up.

”You’re hollow?!!” Elen continues. “Where are your insides?!!!”

”Just how many weird things can happen in one day?!” Gido adds, staring quite obliviously at the hole. You wave them off, trying not to look too affected; you might not feel anything, but your mind was definitely having a hard time comprehending it. 

“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine! Focus on Ifrit!” You say. The flame giant was splitting into several versions of himself; you began to wonder how anyone could possibly take on that many, when Elen aimed her staff over your shoulder.

”Icicle... Lance!” she shouts, as some sort of magic circle appears and shoots off what looks like a chunk of pointed ice. You watch in awe as one of the clones is decimated. Magic, of course! Ice beats fire then.

”Alright, here goes another one!” Elen announces, and you and Kaval both nod, ready for her to fire from behind you. 

You stood your ground as she fired off another, but out of nowhere, you catch sight of the blue blob launching himself right towards it. 

“Wait. Rimuru, no!” Elen shouts, but he had already engulfed it in his body. There was a momentary pause. “What?! What happened to my spell?!” 

You were wondering the same thing; why would he eat the spell? Wasn't that kind of pointless? All it did was delay the battle, from what you could tell— 

You jumped when he suddenly launched ice in what could only be considered a grenade launch at several of the clones, and suddenly there was only the original Ifrit left. Oh.

”What?! What kind of alternate version was that?!” Elen asks, sounding annoyed. Well, you weren't sure you could blame her; he did copy her spell and multiply it in a matter of seconds.

Your eyes widen as a circle like the one Elen had used, but much larger, appears below Rimuru. 

“Ri-“ But the pillar shot up and drowned out your words. You could swear your eyes were tearing up. First Shizu, and now Rimuru? Had you somehow both gained and lost these close friends in the same day?

You knew that the likelihood of anyone surviving that was low. Almost impossible. The flames dragged on forever, as though to torture you with the death of him. 

You cried out though, when thread sprung from the flames and wrapped around Ifrit.

He’s alive! 

There was a sudden relief— you were having a lot of bursts of relief and panic, your new life was already a rollercoaster of emotion— and you saw the spirit consumed by the slime. The flames seemed to put themselves out, and left there was Shizu and Rimuru. She fell over onto Rimuru, but for the first time since you’d seen her last, she was smiling.

Tears sprung to your eyes, and you could swear you were crying, but when you went to wipe them away, there was nothing.

*****

Rimuru and the other three helped take Shizu back to the village. You insisted that you were fine to them— you couldn’t feel the hole and you could still move and walk mostly just fine— but Elen insisted, so she had you lean against her on the way back. Rigurd and Rigur helped Rimuru situate the sleeping Shizu in a comfortable tent, where she would remain until she would wake up. 

The goblins were almost as shocked as the other three had been when they saw you; there were exclamations of “she’s empty!!” All round, but they quickly calmed down. You figured you owed everyone an explanation, so that’s what you gave; you told them how you had just woken up in the forest with this body, and how you had just happened to wander around and run into the adventurers. You left out the details about your reincarnation, and told them that the only thing you remembered from before was your name. The goblins seemed to accept it with little difficulties, but Gido, Elen, and Kaval all pounded you with questions you couldn’t really answer.

You found that patching yourself up was relatively easy; Haruna and some others brought you something like clay, and it melded in with your body well enough that it appeared like there was no damage at all. 

You spent a week there; Shizu still hadn’t woken up. You were forming a routine; after much prodding at your skill, Tutor, you found that eating just converts physical material to magicules (which he promptly explained were a building block in this world when you asked) for your body, so you figured you should just continue to consume food like any normal person would. You became particularly close with a group of Goblinas, who quickly became your friends and support network. Meanwhile, the three adventurers hung around doing this and that as they pleased; not that anyone really minded, but you had to admit that their insistent bickering did little to ease your worry for Shizu.

Meanwhile, Rimuru remained by Shizu’s side practically the whole time; you and the others swung in at least once a day to check on Shizu, but Rimuru never left the tent. You saw goblins enter with food and water for him and Shizu, but other than that, there was little movement from the structure. 

You were all on your way for another morning visit, actually; you strolled behind the three adventurers, listening to them speak with one another.

”I sure hope Shizu is ok...” Elen trails off. 

“I wouldn’t worry about her,” Kaval begins, a hopeful grin on his face. “She’s got Rimuru watching over her.”

”Exactly!” Gido adds. “Remember how powerful that healing potion he gave us was?”

”Yeah, I’m sure everything will be fine!” You say, despite the feeling in your gut that had been building up. You couldn’t tell if you were trying to comfort Elen or yourself.

”Ah, there you four are.”

You spun around to see Rigurd carrying some clothing. 

“Are you going to pay a visit?” He asks, with a small smile.

”You too, Rigurd?” Kaval answers.

”Yes. I have brought a change of clothes for Miss Shizu.” He knocks gingerly, but there is no answer. This must have been expected on his part though, since he only waits a moment before strolling in. “Lord Rimuru, pardon my—“ He freezes. You all peer into the building from behind him, and you are met by the sight of a girl (boy?) standing there with silver hair.

”Huh?! What?! A naked girl?! Who? What?!” various exclamations came from your companions, but you could hardly formulate words.

”Lord Rimuru, your appearance...what is...?” Rigurd began, but he apparently lost the words to ask.

”What?!” All four of you exclaim. You stare at them, and they turn. You see a singular tear sliding down his cheek.

”...that’s Rimuru?” you ask quietly. 

*****

”I see... so Shizu... passed away...” 

The atmosphere was heavy. Rimuru sat fully clothed before you; you couldn’t really tear your eyes away from him. He looked human alright; like a child. A younger version of Shizu to a T. 

“And... are you really the same Rimuru?” Gido asks, looking up at the figure before you all. “It’s just...um... you look like a teeny-tiny Shizu...”

Rimuru sighs, and holds up an arm. “It’s true. Look.” He melts into his slime form right before your eyes, and you wonder how his form can mimic shapes so accurately. 

“Whoa! That’s pretty impressive...” Gido says. You hum to yourself; it was, in it’s own right. Could he do that with any form? 

“Did you eat Shizu?” Elen asks, getting straight to the point. You tense; the thought had crossed your mind, but you didn’t want to just outright ask. “The same way you ate Ifrit.”

”...it was the one method I had... to see her off.” He responds gravely. _She must have wanted it that way, otherwise I’m sure he wouldn’t have done it._ “I’m sorry to have done that without consulting you, her companions.”

”No... if that was her wish, the we couldn’t argue against it,” Kaval refutes. You cross your arms, eyes staring at the ground. Rimuru looks between you and Elen, and apparently decides to address her first.

”I’m sorry Elen. I realize that might not sit right with you," he says. She takes a long, shaky breath, but gains a small, sad smile.

"I just wish I could have said my final goodbyes.”

”Shizu said that she was glad she had fun adventuring with you on her final journey,” Rimuru adds. “Though she also said you might not be the most talented bunch she’d ever seen.”

”Oh, I hear that...”Gido chimes, and him and Elen are both looking mischievously at Kaval.

”Huh? Hey?! Why are you staring at me?!” Kaval snaps.

”I think you know why,” Elen adds with a short laugh.

”I don’t think either of you two have any room to talk either,” You snicker, and they both turn to glare at you. The bickering seemed to erupt like a volcano, and suddenly they were launching back and forth about previous occurrences. You smile, only a bit, at the lighthearted change in atmosphere. Your eyes drift from the trio back to Rimuru, and you wonder for a few moments what must be going on in his mind. 

You all sat down and had some drinks— you sipped yours quietly, content to simply listen in on the conversation. 

When all was said and done, they stood and began gathering their belongings, and you were quickly coming to realize that you would soon have to pick a path to follow. 

“Well... I suppose it’s time we got on our way.” Kaval announces.

”You’re leaving?” Rimuru confirms.

”Yeah, we need to report our findings on the Jura forest to the gm... and about what happened to Shizu, too. “ Kaval’s gaze turned to you. “And Y/n needs to be registered; we might be able to see if there are records that could tell us anything about who she was before she woke up in the forest.” You stiffen at the mention; deciding it’s now or never, you clear your throat to interrupt the conversation.

”Actually,” you begin, and they both turn their heads towards you. “I was hoping I might stay here in this village— as long as it was alright with Rimuru, that is.”

”Stay here?” Elen reiterates. “But don’t you want to learn more about yourself? We might be able to track down more if you come with us.”

You smile softly at her, but shake your head. “I have a feeling we won’t find much, even if I did go. Besides, I’m sure the guild wouldn’t necessarily welcome me; you’ve seen what I really am, after all.” You were glad that they were willing to go to such lengths as to register you with a guild, but you weren’t entirely sure if entering a human-ran domain in your body was a wise choice. Your luck you’d run into some sort of thugs who had a thing against... well, whatever you would be considered, and you’d wind up killed. Besides that, Rimuru was someone else from your world, and that was a connection you didn’t want to risk losing.

”Well, if they really want to stay, it’s fine by me.” Rimuru says, with what might have been considered a shrug. He changed the topic quickly. “As you were saying...You’re in a guild?” Rimuru continues, without a moments pause. 

“Oh, right...” Kaval says, returning to the previous topic. “Yeah. It’s called the Free Union. Pretty much all adventurers are affiliated with it. Don’t worry— we’re not going to say anything bad about this place, of course.”

”We’ll tell the guild master about you too, Rimuru,” Elen pipes up. “And we’ll still mention Y/n, to see if he recognizes the name!” _He won’t, but I appreciate the thought, Elen._

“If there’s anything you need, you should pay the guild a visit,” Gido says.

”Will do. You folks take care,” Rimuru says, already ushering out a quick goodbye.

”Oh!” Kaval comes to a grinding halt halfway to the door. “You mind going into your human form one last time, boss?” 

You had a hunch what they were going to do; you stand as well, and you felt the weight of a last goodbye hanging about your shoulders.

”Hm? Sure, why not.” Rimuru quickly transforms, and reclines casually in his spot. “What did you need me to...” He stops, staring at the four bowed deeply in front of him.

”Thank you for everything, Shizu!” 

“I’ll do a better job leading the party, so you don’t need to worry about us!” Kaval announces, eyes down. 

“For the rest of my life, I will treasure our adventures together!” Gido adds. You have to take a moment and breathe to steady your voice enough.

”I haven’t been here long, but I’ll do my best to become someone you could be proud of, Shizu.” You say, but the tremble in the last word still manages to stand out.

Elen lunges herself forward, offering a hug to Rimuru, who stood in Shizu’s place. 

“Thank you... you were like a big sister to me.”

A moment passed before Rimuru spoke up again.

”By the way, your gear is falling apart.”

A ripple breaks the serious moment, and the trio looks embarrassed. 

“How rude!” Elen cries out. 

It really only took a short walk around the village before Rimuru was presenting them— and to your surprise, yourself— with some new gear. You held it up to your body, almost confused as to how to put it on. If your clothes were just a part of your body, would you be able to slip these on with no problem?

In the meantime, the adventurers were looking in awe at their new gear, as if amazed it was even real. 

“A parting gift.” Rimuru begins in response to the confusion on your faces. “Master-pieces from our craftsmen. Allow me to introduce you. This is Kaijin and Garm.”

”Less masterpieces than prototypes, really,” the one Rimuru called Kaijin speaks up. Your eyes light up at the sight of them; so there were dwarves here too! You really shouldn’t be surprised after experiencing goblins, a slime, and a fire spirit, but it was still somewhat exciting, nonetheless. “How do they feel?”

”Wait, Kaijin as in the legendary blacksmith?” 

“And you’re master Garm?!” 

“Wow, this suit will be a family heirloom!”

Ah, so they’re even famous, then! Rimuru sure had quite the menagerie of town members.

They spent a while more chatting, before cheerfully waving goodbye with a promise to return sooner or later.

”Be careful ok? No more prodding fire ant nests for any of you...” you trail off. Elen gives you a hug and a smile.

”We won’t go getting into too much trouble!” Elen says. _Somehow I doubt that._ “You just try not to get any more holes blown in you!”

”Yeah, none of that recklessness while here, you could get seriously hurt!” Kaval scolds. _You’re one to talk..._

“No kidding, I almost fainted when I saw you get hit!” Gido continues.

”Ah, right, I’ll try not to get hurt too badly!” You chuckle with a grin. And just like that, they were off; you watched their silhouettes fade into the forest. 

“Y/n.” 

You look down at Rimuru expectantly, waiting for him to say something. 

“I’m glad you decided to stay. It’s a bit selfish of me, but having someone else around who knows the truth about Shizu and I will be nice.”

”...I feel about the same way. It’s not like I could go with them, anyways. Not like this.”

Rimuru turns as if to enter back into his tent, but pauses just long enough to address you one last time for the day.

”Shizu wanted me to tell you that she was glad you stumbled into them; she was happy to have been a part of your introduction to this world.”

Your eyes begin to water, if only in your spur of emotions.

”...thanks.”

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	3. 3. Goblins and Ogres and Slimes, oh my!

They had a spare tent; you stayed there for the night. You slept quite comfortably, but you quickly noticed that your body didn’t necessarily need it; you had never felt tired to begin with. You left your tent, and caught sight of Haruna making her way across the village towards one of the finished buildings. 

“Morning Haruna!” You call, closing the tent behind yourself. She stops, and smiles a brilliantly bright smile in your direction. 

“Good morning, Miss Y/n!”

”Where are you off to today?” You ask, walking up to her and glancing curiously at the cloth in her hands. 

“Lord Rimuru is getting fitted for some clothing today,” She says. Ah, that made sense; he probably shouldn’t keep running around in such baggy clothes, anyways. 

“Mind if I tag along?” You ask, kind of curious if you might be able to get some actual clothes as well. This beginner garb made you stand out amongst the goblins, and you figured if you were going to be living here you might as well fit in with them as best you could. 

“Oh, I’m sure Lord Rimuru won’t mind!” She says, and you both go on your way.

Haruna gave a curt knock, and waited for the diluted ‘come in’ from Rimuru before entering. Well, there he was; once again totally naked before your eyes. You knew you shouldn’t let it phase you— it’s not like he really had any private parts anyways, but him just so blatantly being there was still mildly embarrassing. You tried to keep your eyes off of him out of respect.

”Ah, morning Y/n,” he says, noticing you behind Haruna.

”Morning, Rimuru,” You say, leaning against a table. Haruna kneels down with what looks like a measure in her hands, and you can already see the way she’s gushing over him.

”Why, just look how cute you’ve become, Lord Rimuru!” She quickly sets to work taking his measurements, and he holds out his arms to give her clear access. 

“You can recognize me? Even though I’m not a slime?” He asks, looking mildly confused.

”Of course I can!” Haruna confirms, moving on to take a different measurement.

”Erm... s-sir?” One of the dwarves (you vaguely recall that Rimuru introduced him as Garm to you) begins, obviously avoiding looking at him. “This is just a spare outfit, but I’d appreciate it if you wore it. You may not have the parts, but you’re still naked as they come.” You couldn’t help but agree on that matter; you might have a heart attack trying to avoid looking at him if he continued wandering around like this.

”Oh, of course,” Rimuru says, taking the garments and putting them on. You sigh, but your thought from earlier returns. 

“Um... would you happen to have anything I could wear? Not to seem demanding or anything, but this—“ you motion to the makeshift gear on your body— well, it was more a part of your body (does that make you naked as well?), “—isn’t actually clothing.”

They all look at you with confusion. 

“What is it then?” Garm asks, leaning down closer to take a look at your sleeve. “It sure looks like clothing to me.”

You sigh, and hesitantly reach to your leg. You pinch off some of the makeshift fabric there, and it immediately turns to a glob of clay between your fingers. Garm does a double take, eyes wide. 

“You’re telling me you’re nothing but clay?!” He says. You shrug, not entirely sure how to answer that. You supposed your body just automatically covered you up out of your own sheer will, otherwise you’d probably be just as naked as Rimuru had been. “We’ll have to get you some kind of covering quick then!”

You wave off his urgency. “Ah, it’s not big deal, please take your time. I at least appear covered up, for the time being.” You ponder something for a moment, and your mind wanders back to Shizu. “If it’s alright though, I would like some sort of weapon. Preferably a sword; if I run into Kaijin today, I might mention it.”

”Oh! Right then; if I happen to run into him before you, I’ll make sure and tell him!” Garm adds with a smile and a thumbs up. You nod at him appreciatively, and follow Rimuru out the door as he thanks them and waves over his shoulder. 

You see the familiar large horned wolf waiting outside the door for Rimuru, and you shuffle awkwardly; you still didn’t know their name, after all, but you just had this incredible urge...

“Um... what’s his name?” you ask Rimuru, motioning to the wolf. Rimuru looks mildly surprised.

”Oh, this is Ranga. Did no one introduce you two?” He asks. 

“I’m afraid not, Master.” 

You almost jump at the voice, but you were pleasantly surprised. So he could speak!

You look between Rimuru, and Ranga, then back to Rimuru. Who do you ask?! 

“Would... would it be alright for me to pet you?” You say, turning to Ranga. You quickly spin to Rimuru, waving your hands. “If it’s alright with you, as well!”

Rimuru smiles at you, and shrugs. He sure seems rather nonchalant about everything today. “I don’t see an issue with it if Ranga doesn’t object.”

”You may.” His answer was stoic but you could see his tail begin to wag. You sink your hands into his fur, gently ruffling it. It’s just as soft as it looks! You were in absolute bliss, and your hands sneaked up to his ears. He leaned into your touch, and you saw dust kick up from behind him. _What a sweetheart! How cute!_

You honestly probably could have just pampered Ranga with attention for a good while more, but Rimuru clears his throat. Ranga immediately straightens and stands up, and Rimuru hops onto him.

”We should probably be on our way then,” He says, giving Ranga a pat on the head. You hum.

”Ah— if you don’t mind me asking, where are you going?”

Just as he was about to answer, a familiar voice called out to him.

”Lord Rimuru!” Both of you look back, and see Rigurd, looking chipper as ever. You did notice that he seemed just a little bit different— you couldn’t quite place your finger on it, but you knew he had somehow changed in the last day or two. “Are you leaving?”

”I am. Just a little trip to the sealed cave, that’s all,” Rimuru answers, his gaze flickering between both you and Rigurd. “Oh, that reminds me. Are the goblin lords coming in handy?”

You tilt your head; goblin lords? Did that make Rigurd in charge of all the goblins? that must be the cause of his change, then.

”Yes, of course!” Rigurd responds promptly. “By the way lord Rimuru... will you not be needing any food today?”

Ah, that’s right; if you recalled correctly, Rimuru never joined you for food in the mornings and evenings. Rimuru sighs.

”There’s no point, since my body has no sense of tas—“ He stops mid word, as if realization struck him fiercely. He raises his hand after a moment, looking rather serious. “No. Wait.” You sweat a bit; how intimidating a look for his appearance... “Starting today, I will be eating with the rest of you.”

”You will?!” Rigurd exclaims, and you are mildly surprised as well. You hum, and wonder if it has to do with his new body shape. He must have a sense of taste now, right? How exciting that must be for him. “Then tonight, we will have a banquet. I will instruct Ririna that we are to prepare a feast.”

”Good, I’m looking forward to it.” Ranga started walking again, but you stopped Rimuru.

”Hold on, would it be alright if I came with you? I haven’t actually seen much of the forest yet, anyhow.”

”Oh, yeah, sure; hop on behind me.”

You did as Rimuru said; he seemed so small in front of you, and you worried it would be a bit heavy for Ranga, but he seemed fine. Ranga left the village at a sprint, and you found yourself gripping your legs a bit tighter against him to try and stay on. 

Rimuru was rather excited the entire time; you figured he was just eager for the feast that evening, since he would be eating—and tasting. You smiled at him. He almost was...childlike, you supposed. It was good that he could take joy in the trivial excitements. 

You came to a slow, and spotted some of the goblins who were out hunting. 

“Yo, Rigur!” Rimuru calls to get their attention.

”Lord Rimuru!” Rigur responds happily.

”Thanks for your work on the village security and food procurement!” He says. You wave at them, and a couple of them return your greeting eagerly. “We’re planning a feast for tonight. So catch us something especially tasty!” Rimuru requests with a large grin. 

“You’re going to eat with us this time?” A smaller one, Gobta, asks. 

“You bet!” Rimuru looks rather proud for a minute. “This body has an actual sense of taste!”

You notice the goblin's gaze wander down a bit on Rimuru. “If you eat enough, will your boobs fill out?”

You had to hold back a laugh when Rimuru basically round-house kicked the goblin for that comment.

[Would you like to learn roundhouse kick?]

You flinch at the sudden voice; it had been a while since you had heard from Tutor, admittedly. It was a bit funny that he would pop back up now though. 

_Yeah, why not._ You really didn’t understand how your skill worked as far as combat went; you hadn’t tried anything yet. You apparently learned something from Shizu when those ants were attacking, and now you knew that roundhouse kick, but you never felt any different. Maybe it would only be a spur of the moment thing?

Ignoring the incident with Gobta, Rigur turns back to Rimuru.

”Then I’ll make sure to prepare the greatest bulldeer you’ve ever seen,” he confirms. Bulldeer? You tried to conjure up an image of the animal in your mind; somehow you doubted it looked like what you were picturing. Maybe it was close?

“Sounds great,” Rimuru continues. 

“It shouldn’t prove too hard.” Rigur grins at the both of you. “There are many monstrous beasts moving out from the depths of the forest, and they’re driving a great number of prey out, too.”

He said it happily, but that sounded a little concerning to you.

”Monstrous beasts?” You ask, furrowing your brow.

”...has something changed recently?” Rimuru asks, frowning. 

“Every once in a while some change in the environment causes magical beasts to move about. I don’t think it’s anything particularly notable...” Rigur pauses, a thoughtful look on his face. “...But I’ve strengthened our security, just in case.”

”Join the guard patrols, Ranga,” Rimuru says with finality. “If necessary, they’ll need your help.”

”Of course!” Ranga agrees quickly.

”What about me?” You ask, frowning. Rimuru blinks up at you, as if he had forgotten your existence for a few moments. 

“Ah, well, you don’t have a weapon...” He trails off. _Ouch, that’s a hard no._

”I wouldn’t be in the way; if anything happens, I’ll just be support,” You add, in a feeble attempt to convince him. He hums, but one look at the expression on your face and he gives in with a sigh. 

“Fine, but take this.” He pulls out what looks like a miniature sword from his arm, and hands it to you. It reminded you of the one Shizu had owned; it’s surprisingly light weight, but you could tell it was sturdy. “Take this and try not to get into too much trouble.”

You smile at him. “I won’t; thank you, Rimuru.”

”But my lord, I thought you were going somewhere...” Rigur trails off, watching Rimuru get down from Ranga again.

”It's fine. I’m nearly there.” Rimuru says, ruffling Ranga’s fur affectionately. 

“Don’t be shy. Take us with you, Rigur.” Ranga says. As always, his voice was stoic, and you’d say he sounded pretty badass... except his tail was wagging quite fervently behind him. You had to keep yourself from gushing out loud about what a good boy he was being.

”Well, I’ll be in the cave,” Rimuru begins, turning with a wave. “So if anything happens...”

”OH! Sorry, I forgot to mention something.” Rigur steps towards Rimuru, pulling something into view. “I found it while patrolling the forest. I thought it best for you to have it...” You immediately recognize it as Shizu’s mask, and you were washed over with a wave of melancholy joy. At least Rimuru could have that keepsake....

”...Thank you. I was looking for this,” Rimuru says, with a small smile. He turns and heads off in the direction of the cave he was speaking of, and the goblins wish him well. It isn’t long before you all are on your way as well, and you remain on Ranga, holding your sword carefully so as not to accidentally hit him. 

“I’m not too heavy, am I?” You ask him nervously. You figured a mass of wet clay couldn’t be all that light to run around with.

”You are heavier than Master,” He begins. “But nothing I can’t handle.” You sigh in relief, but still feel a little guilty; you didn’t want him overworking himself. The pace was fairly leisurely, from what Gobta had told you at the set off; but somehow, this speed felt anything but. 

“Can you catch me up with Rigur?” You ask Ranga. “If not, it’s no big deal—“ You had to grip his fur a little tighter just to keep yourself on; there was a sudden burst of speed, and in what felt like a millisecond, you were near the front of the group, only a few feet to the left of Rigur.

”How far out does your patrol go?” You shout, hoping he would be able to hear you. Thankfully, he turns and look right at you, a small smile on his lips.

”We go out for quite a ways; always in a circle around the village though. If we scouted the whole Jura forest every day we wouldn’t make it back in time for food,” He says. You sweat. A whole forest and you’d be worried about dinner? Just how fast are these guys?

To your surprise, Rigur leans down, almost half dangling off his wolf, and snatches something from the ground. It happened rather quickly, but you wondered just how long they had their companions for Rigur to be able to do that so comfortably.

”Are you ok—“ you started, but were surprised when his wolf slowed and he held out a slightly winded flower to you with a grin. You blink at it, but take it gingerly from him.

”I saw it coming up and figured you might like it,” He says sheepishly, grinning. It was... rather sweet of him, actually. Unexpected and a bit sudden, but sweet.

“Ah, thank you, but...” You stare at him and deadpan, still processing the stunt he pulled. “Please be careful, if you’d fallen off I would have had a heart attack.” 

“I’ll try not to fall,” he responds with a laugh, before his wolf speeds back up and he’s focused again. You stare down at the flower in your hand, and frown. _Where the hell am I supposed to put this?! My pockets are fake!!!_

*****

It couldn’t have been long; maybe 20-30 minutes, when Rigur holds up his fist, and the whole group comes to a halt. The wolves ears flicker, and you can feel a tension in the air. Something was up; what exactly, you couldn't put your finger on. 

[Would you like to use the skill ‘Find’ to figure out the answer?]

Find? You couldn’t recall the skill, let alone remember what it did, but you guessed it was worth a shot.

Suddenly, in your minds eye, a map of the area where you were appeared; it looked like a 3D model, and to your left-

“You there!” Rigur says, and you stiffen, turning to look at the 6 figures. They were admittedly a bit brutish looking, but somehow had a refined air about them that made you feel as though they were more than what you'd figure at first glance. “State your business!”

[Ogres; fearsome monsters of high caliber who usually dominate over the ranks of goblins.]

A red one speaks up. “Who is your master?”

”What?” You ask, confused. Were they looking for Rimuru? Why?

”Who wants to know?” Rigur continues, obviously on the defense. The ogres, as your skill had called them, give each other a look, and suddenly they are all in fighting stances. One of them— an older one— rushed at you, and you jump over and off of Ranga to avoid the swing of a sword, falling to the ground with a dull thud. ‘Find’ sure was handy; you’d have to remember to use it often.

”What a keen thing you are,” he said. Your eyes went wide as goblins and wolves all around you began to fall to the ground. What was happening?! “I’m guessing this one has a special skill. Careful.”

You raise your sword on reflex— and it occurs to you that you’ve only just now acquired one. You sincerely hoped Shizu’s sword skills would come to you naturally. Rigur springs to his feet, and you notice that you, Ranga, Rigur, and Gobta are the last ones. Everyone else was out like a light.

”Are they...” You trail off, horror struck. Rigur shakes his head quickly.

”No. Only asleep.”

You sigh in relief, and turn your focus back to the people before you. There were six of them; a small female stood to the back behind four males and one taller female. Color coded?— You desperately wished you could communicate between the other four without needing to speak out loud, if only for this battle. 

“Where is your master?” The red one asks, hand on the hilt of his sword. “We may let you go peacefully if you tell us.” You noticed that their armor was banged up; had they been in a big fight, or was their armor just old?

”As if we’d tell you!!” Rigur spits, sword ready. Ranga launches himself into attack, going for the largest and the blue one. Rigur and Gobta go for the purple one, and you find yourself face to face with the old man, the red one, and the pink girl. You hold your sword steady, waiting for them to make a move; if you could evade until Rimuru arrived, you’d be alright. 

“Brother, that one is not what she seems... be careful,” the pink on pipes in, her voice soft. The red one whips out a sword, but the older one holds out his hand to stop him. 

“Please, allow me.”

You were hardly even able to blink, and he was behind you. You barely managed to dodge the tip of his sword; it must have still nicked your back though, because he observes a small blot of clay on his blade.

With nothing but a small hum, he attacks again, and you find yourself blocking his sword with your own despite the blank state of your mind. It was like a sick game; he would swing, and you would only barely manage to dodge. Wherever Shizu was, you were thanking her for showing off some of her dodging moves to you; this must be the result of your skill, ‘Tutor’, right? You certainly hadn’t known these moves anytime before that.

[Sample sufficient. Would you like to learn this style?]

_Yes please!!!_

It only took a moment; suddenly you could knew what he was doing. Block after block; your footwork began to match his own.

”You’re a quick learner,” He says, catching your sword with his own.

”Guess so,” You grunt, glaring at him. You hear a distant shout from Gobta, and turn your head for only a moment. Apparently that was enough.

”You should pay more attention to your foe.”

You were on the ground; you tried to stand up, but found quickly that you only had control of your arms. You look down and are mortified; there, a foot or two away from you, was the other half of your body, from the waist down. You use your arms to push yourself up, and just kind of stare. They hadn’t lost their shape, but they were pretty well useless to you until you could put yourself back together.

”You old fucker!” You curse, trying to scoot yourself closer.

Gobta jumps over you— apparently he left Rigur to deal with the purple one— and is quickly slashed by the old man.

”Gobta!” You shout with concern. 

”Who are you?”

You turn, and your eyes land on the person you’ve been waiting for this whole time. Finally! You could already feel the menace dripping from him, but you noticed he was wearing Shizu's mask.

“I been sliced! Ooooh it hurts like crazy! I’m gonna diiiiie!!!” Gobta shouts. You sweat; had he really been hit that bad? You had quite literally been split in half-- then again, you did possess pain nullification. 

”Calm down. It was a shallow wound.” Gobta was suddenly drenched in what you assumed was some kind of potion, and Rigur too.

”Lord Rimuru!” Rigur exclaims, surprised at his presence. Rimuru turns and his gaze falls over you; he says nothing, but you can already feel some kind of scorn about how he told you to be careful.

”Was that a healing potion? Thanks!!!” Gobta says, looking awfully peppy for someone who was just crying about dying. Rimuru completely ignores him. 

“Explain the situation to me Rigur. What happened to the security forces?”

”All those you see collapsed are alive and well. They were merely put to sleep with magic.” Rigur pauses, and hangs his head. “I am ashamed, my lord. I sensed a powerful aura and was on heightened alert... but I did not expect to see ogres...”

Rimuru seems to ponder the ogre fact for a few moments, before peering back at you.

”And you?” He asks.

”The old one got me; he’s quick, be careful,” you say, warning him ahead of time. Suddenly there’s an uproar from above, and you look up to see Ranga still trapped in combat with the large and blue ogres. 

“Ranga!” Rimuru calls. 

“Master!” Ranga says urgently. “I have failed you! Our forces have fallen...” He pats Ranga as if to reassure him; he must’ve told Ranga something (although you weren’t quite sure how) because he trotted over and stood near you, gently nudging your legs closer with his paw all while keeping a close eye on the ogres. As soon as they are close enough, you begin melding your legs back onto your body— an awkward process, but lucky for you it had been a clean cut. 

“Hey you! I don’t know the details of what happened, but it’s clear that my forces crossed a line. Are you willing to set back and talk it out?” Rimuru asks. The pink one’s lips move, and the red one’s glares hardens at Rimuru.

“Show yourself, foul Majin.” 

You do a double take in the midst of standing up (your legs, once connected again, became entirely functional). A majin?

”Wh-wh-whoa! Hang on! What did I do?!” Rimuru exclaims, obviously confused.

”No mere human is capable of enlisting the help of monsters to do his bidding,” The red one continues. “you’ve disguised your true form and attempted to hide your aura, but you cannot deceive the eyes of the holy ogre princess.” You pick up your sword, but your eyes turn to the pink one; a princess, huh? 

The red one draws his sword. 

“Hmph. I don’t need to hear your answer. That mask tells me all I need to know about who you are.” 

The mask? Shizu’s mask? Your questions were beginning to pile up, and if you didn’t get answers soon, you admittedly might not be able to keep your facts straight.

”Wait, are you sure you’re not mistaken? This is a memento from a woman who-“

”By my word, you shall pay with your head to ease the memory of my fallen brethren, if even for a fleeting moment.” The ogre just went straight for interrupting Rimuru; he really wouldn’t be hearing anything the slime had to say, huh?

Rimuru turns and looks at you and Ranga.

”Good, you’re back in one piece.” Rimuru says, referring to you. You nod, and he looks towards Ranga. “Which one is the magic user, Ranga?”

“The pink haired girl they call the holy princess,” Ranga replies curtly. 

“I need you and Y/n to keep Her in check for me. I’ll take are of the rest of them.” You whip your head around.

”Are you crazy?! That leaves you with five of them!” You exclaim. Even thinking about facing more than just that old man sent a shiver up your non-existent spine. 

“It’s not a problem,” Rimuru responds, calmly. “I won’t lose to them.”

”Are you a hero, or a reckless fool?” The red one adds with a smirk. You almost retorted back that he seemed just as reckless, but held your tongue; now was not the time. “I will honor your courage by accepting this challenge. Don’t regret it.” 

All five of them rushed forward at once; you only barely managed to leap out of their path in time to avoid the backswing of the large one’s hammer. You follow Ranga to the pink haired one, who seems to cower at both of your presences. You got the feeling she wasn’t really physically strong, which would explain her hanging back the entire time. 

“Please don’t do anything rash,” You ask her. You had the sense to at least attempt to carry out Rimuru’s peace offerings. She only slowly nods, and with Ranga keeping a close eyes on her (You had to admit, his bared teeth were rather fearsome) you turn to catch glimpses of Rimuru’s fight. He flipped over the big one, spraying him with something; whatever it was, it knocked the man out, and he fell to the ground. Immediately afterwards came an attack from the purple one; a swing of her mace. You though you noticed Rimuru stare at her... assets for just a moment longer than necessary; you almost wanted to clobber him for not having his priorities straight in the middle of a high-stakes fight. She seemed to lose her balance, and in the blink of an eye, Rimuru had her tied up and hanging in thread. You had a hard time seeing the blue one attack; all you saw was the shattering of his sword against armor Rimuru had produced on his arm. You wondered for a moment how he had done that, and flinched when you heard the loud crack of armor that came with that punch to the ogre’s stomach. 

The red and old ogre seemed to hang back for a few moments, and you wondered if they were suddenly reconsidering their strategy. But no; the old one spoke up.

”An evil centipede’s “Paralysis breath.” A black spider’s “sticky thread” and “steel thread.” An armorsaurus’ “Body armor.” The speed of his reaction to surprise attacks suggests “magic sense” as well.” Your furrow your brow. He identified all the skills and attributes Rimuru had just shown off; did he just know them all off the top of his head? Or perhaps he had a skill like your own, but somehow you doubted that. “There are other monster’s tricks that he might have gained on top of this. Do not overlook this one, young master.”

Rimuru pauses for a moment, before throwing out his hands casually. “So, shall we wrap this exhibition up? I’m hoping you might hear out my side of this.”

”Silence, foul majin.” Again with the majin from the red one. He spit out the word like a curse. “I have witnessed your strength for myself— and that only convinces me further. You are one of them.” You swear you see his sword tremble at the sheer animosity of his grip. “I knew that there was no way a mere band of orcs could defeat the proud and mighty ogres.”

[Orcs: a mid-ranking but strong monster, typically characterized by average intelligence.]

“I don’t know what you’re talking ab—“

”Enough!” The red one explodes. “I know this was all orchestrated by majin kind!”

”Hang on, you’ve got the wrong—“

Your breath caught in your throat when you saw the old man seemingly materialize behind Rimuru, sword in full swing. 

“Rimuru!” You choke out on instinct. You sigh with relief when he pops back up, only missing an arm— wait missing an arm?!

”Ri...mu...ru?” The princess says, slowly. You spin, covering your mouth. In all of this, had you been the one to give away his name? Hadn’t the others long ago said it anyways, though?

”Quiet,” Ranga sneers at her, and she only blinks at him. You gaze back at the fight happening before you.

”Hmph. I’ve grown old and feeble. I was certain that strike had lopped his head off.” The old man grumbles. Rimuru’s arms remains limp on the ground, and you stare at it blankly. “I will not miss next time.”

”And now my question has been answered— you are just a fool.” The red one holds out his own sword, looking rather smug. “But I’m impressed at your willpower. You lost an arm and haven’t gone mad with pain.” The look in the ogre’s eyes changes, and you know he’s preparing for an attack. “But thinking that you could battle us alone— that arrogance will be your downfall. You may rue your mistake in hell!!!” One sword swing down brings about a slash in the earth, and Rimuru is nothing but a flash as he jumps out of the way. 

[Would you like to learn this power slash?]

You blink once; twice. You could learn how to do something like that? Instantaneously, just like that? Didn’t it involve magic or something?

_Yes, might as well if it’s possible._ Your answer was absent minded, as your eyes were glued to Rimuru, who reabsorbed his own arm and grew it back. The ogre looked on in alarm, but you couldn’t quite catch what he uttered.

”You’re right, it’s a bad habit of mine to get a little cocky.” Rimuru reaches up for Shizu’s mask, and slides it away from his face. “Your warning is well taken. If I’d been more careful, I wouldn’t have lost my arm. The pain is just killing me.” You could have sworn that last part sounded sarcastic— “That is... If I didn’t have “Pain nullification” and “Ultraspeed regeneration” it would be.” It was sarcastic!

Alarm seemed to dawn upon the ogre, and you could see a sudden desperation overtake him. “M...Monster!” _A bit ironic choice of words._ “Ogre flame!” Flames erupted around Rimuru, and the ogre watches vigorously. 

“Sorry.” Rimuru steps out of the fire, completely unscathed. “Fire does nothing to me. Let me show you real flames.”

The black fire ball that erupted from his hands was preposterous; you figured Rimuru was really powerful, but this felt like overkill; you could feel the heat. The ogres stared up at it in a sort of mixed horror and awe, and the pink haired one managed to come to a conclusion.

”Those... Those flames...” She begins, wide eyed. “That sorcery does not use the magicules in the surrounding air! It is purely the wielder’s power that gives the flame it’s definition... the size of the flame directly represents his strength!”

The ogre glares, lowering his gaze at his sister’s statement. Maybe fear was finally beginning to settle in their minds; they had entered a poorly picked fight. 

“What do you think? Still want to fight?” Rimuru asks. There was hesitation among them. 

“Young master,” The older one begins, a placid expression on his face. “Take the princess and flee. I will buy you time to—“

”Shut up, gramps.” The red one interrupts. He looked particularly somber. “I bear the suffering of my fallen comrades on my shoulders... and now, when I finally found the object of our vengeance, you want me to turn and run?” He takes a breath and raises his sword above his head again, and his expression is much more stable. “You must be joking. I was raised to be our future chieftain. I still have my pride! I would rather perish in the glory of vengeance than live in shame.”

”Young master...” The old Ione trails off, and you swear you see pride in him. “In that case, I shall join you.”

In that moment, the pink one rushes by, jumping between her brother and Rimuru.

”No brother! Please stop!”

Surprise, then agitation crosses the red one’s face. “Out of the way.”

”No!” She cries. “I do not think this person is our enemy!”

”Why do you say that?” He rebates, obviously frustrated. “This majin wears the same mask as the one who attacked our village. You said it yourself!”

”I did, but...” She trails off, and her gaze flickers across the goblins, then Ranga, and finally they land on you. “...those two hobgoblins, who mightily resisted my magic of incapacitation seem to truly revere this one. As does the wolf who was keeping me at bay...” You noticed that Ranga was practically snuggled up next to Rimuru, teeth bared at the ogres still. “...and when he was hurt, the spirit in that body was worried to such an extent it’s impossible to believe they are only under the control of him.” Spirit? “This ones behavior is too different from the Majin who led the orcs.”

”Think hard about who this girl is really trying to protect.” Rimuru butts in. “Well, ‘Young Master?’”

The red ogre lowers his weapon, although you don’t miss the displeasure on his face upon doing so.

”I don’t think I’ll need this anymore.” Rimuru starts, once he’s certain they have stopped their attack. The mass of flames disappears back into his hand, and you lower your weapon as well. 

“What did you just...?” The red one asks. 

“I devoured it,” Rimuru responds simply. “If I just toss it around and let it hang there, someone is going to get killed.”

”So... who are you then?” He asks.

”Me? I’m just a slime. Rimuru the slime, in fact.” Rimuru smiles innocently.

”A slime?” The red one says skeptically. “That’s nonsense. You don’t expect me to...” Rimuru transforms in the middle of the ogre’s sentence, and you chuckle at the shocked expressions on their faces. _Yeah, I did that too._ “You... you’re right...” He says, still looking dumbfounded. 

“As for this mask, it’s a memento of a woman. I only received it this morning. If you want to examine it closer to see if it really belongs to the one who attacked your village, be my guest.” Rimuru holds out the mask. “Here.”

”S-sure...” The red ogre takes it hesitantly, and olds it closer for examination.

”It does look similar...”

“This seems to be infused with an anti-magic power.”

”But the majin who attacked us was not bothering to hide any aura, which means...”

They all turn and look at Rimuru nervously.

The red one bows his head. “Forgive us. We were mistaken. I hope you can accept my apology.”

Rimuru hops up onto Ranga’s back. “Of course, no harm done.”

You turn when one of the goblins begins to wake up, and rush over to help them up. “H-huh? Lord Rimuru?...”

”Ah, you guys’re awake now?” He turns and looks at the ogres. “And are you ogres all well?”

”Yes, thanks to your healing solution...” the purple one trails off.

”Good. Then let’s all go back to our village.” Rimuru finishes.

”Yes, master!” Ranga says, immediately ready to go.

”Does that include us?” The red one asks slowly.

”Of course; I’d like to hear more about your situation.” Rimuru nods quickly. “And we can feed you, if you’d like.”

”I appreciate the invitation... but are you certain? We have already harmed your companions.”

“Pardon me,” the old one says, addressing Gobta and Rigur. You sweat when he turns to you. “I see you’ve put yourself back together quite nicely; my apologies for getting out of hand and cutting too cleanly through.” 

You wave it off, sweating. “I’m fine.” He hums, peering at the sword still in your hand.

”I hope this doesn’t come off as too estranged, but you have real potential; with some training, you could wield expertly.” He adds. You are mildly surprised, and you look down at the sword in your hand.

”You think so?”

”Oh, I know so; I have an eye for talent, after all.” He says with a small chuckle. You hum. 

“Well, that goes for both sides.” Rimuru begins, noting your intense focus on your sword. “And nobody died, so there's no need to squabble. Besides, we’re having a feast today. The more the merrier, right?” 

The group made their way back, with 6 new faces in your ranks. 

“What are your names, by the way?” Rimuru asks. 

“None of us are named beings,” the red one answers.

”Oh right, that’s the usual way of things huh.” You do a double take, but choose to hold your tongue; you weren't going to just keep calling them by their colors, surely! And names? Didn’t all of the monsters in Rimuru’s town have names?

You made a mental note to ask Rimuru about it later.

*****

The village was lit brilliantly with little paper lanterns on strings, and the air practically vibrated with excitement and joy. You smiled at the dancing goblins, and the way in which the pink and purple ogres fit right in with them having fun. The food smelled delicious; you knew the goblins would make it special, since it would be Rimuru’s first meal with them. Despite that, you stayed to the back, sipping on a drink from a huge mug you had been provided. Your ears happen to catch something, and you can’t help but tune in on the conversation near you.

You were doing a lot of listening these days; what could it hurt to listen a little more?

”Orcs attacking ogres? That’s preposterous!” Rigurd says.

”But it is true.” The red ogre takes a drink. “Our village was overrun by a well-armed army of thousands of the pig-faced brutes.” You spared a glance in their direction, and you noticed the sadness that washed over him. “Out of 300 ogres, only the six of us are left.”

”I can’t believe it...” Kaijin trails off. “Is that really possible?”

”Is it really that crazy?” Gobta jumps in, his mouth full. For once you are grateful for Gobta’s lack of knowledge— he asked the question you had been thinking. 

“It is bizarre. Ogres and Orcs are far apart in terms of strength.” Kaijin begins, launching into an explanation. “For one thing, orcs are lower beings. They would never launch an attack. And for it to be such a devastating massacre? Well—“

”It was not a massacre.” The red one interrupts, glaring. His tone was probably about as sharp as his blade. “We are still left.”

”...You’re right, I’m sorry.” Kaijin and Gobta both look thoroughly frightened by the glare, but it’s Kaijin who corrects himself.

”I see. No wonder you were so upset.” Rimuru says, appearing. So he had been eavesdropping too, then?

”Are you done with your meat, Rimuru?” Red questions (you had formally decided you would just refer to them by colors until told otherwise). 

“Just taking a breather...” Rimuru say, looking rather content. “Your sister is remarkable. She knows so much about herbs and spices. It took no time at all for her to get along with the Goblinas.”

”She was...” He thought about how to word it for a moment. “Over protected back home. I think she's happy to be of use to someone.” 

There was a small pause before Rimuru continued.

”So What are you going to do now?”

”’Do’?”

”Your future direction. Whether you decide to rebuild... or move to some other land... the fate of your comrades still rests on your shoulders, doesn’t it?”

”There’s no question of what’s to be done. We will regroup, gather our strength, and fight back.”

”Any idea of how to do that?”

A long period of silence followed Rimuru’s question. _He has no idea._

You took a large gulp of your drink—

“Here’s a suggestion: do you have any interest in joining my forces?”

—and spit it out, choking loudly. You got some strange looks from a couple goblins, but if the people you were eavesdropping on noticed, they didn’t acknowledge you.

“What?” Red asks, obviously confused by the offer.

”The only thing I can guarantee you is clothing, food, and shelter, nothing more.” Rimuru begins. “But at least it’s a place to call home, right?”

”But then our quest for vengeance will involve your village...” 

“Well, I’m not just doing this for your sake.” Rimuru hums. “You said it was thousands of armed orcs, right? That’s clearly an abnormal situation. We cannot assume that our town is safe either. So it’s to our benefit to have as much power as we can.”

”....ah, I see.”

Well, Rimuru’s logic was sound. You didn’t know what sort of threat was lurking on the horizon, but having more power never hurt anyone. It wasn’t necessarily that you held any ill will against them— sure, that old guy cut you in half, but given the situation you probably would have done the same in his shoes. It had just surprised you to some extent. But with such an increase in the powers of those around you, you were starting to feel a bit... in the way. You had proven nearly pointless in battles twice now. You were a standing target, and you endangered the whole group; if there really was a threat coming, you needed to up your game. 

You look down at your own hand; the pink one had called you a spirit. Was that all you were? If that was the case, the rules that applied to Ifrit applied to you as well. But if Ifrit was able to be removed from Shizu’s body, then... could you be moved from yours as well? Could you exchange the husk you inhabited for one that was stronger, better for battle? One that didn’t break to pieces so easily?

You looked up when red walked past you, looking deep in thought. You must have missed the end of the conversation in the midst of your thought, but just based on his expression, you could guess that it wasn’t decided yet. You turn and look back at the party, to see that Rimuru had already gone back and joined in on the fun. So much for asking him about it...

You chug down the drink, and slam the mug down with a loud sigh when it’s empty. 

“I didn’t take you for a drinker,” Kaijin says, with a loud laugh. You look up at him, and grin sheepishly.

"Well, I can't exactly get drunk either way," You joke. 

"Ah, I suppose not," He says, and he seems to drift into thought. You gaze falls on the hammer in his belt, and an idea seems to strike you like lightning.

"Ah, actually, if you have a minute, I've a favor to ask you...."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	4. Nobody's Body

You stood outside of Rimuru’s temporary home, your fist raised to the door to knock. The early morning light beat down on you, and if you didn’t know any better, you could feel it warm your body (although you couldn’t tell if was actually doing so or just you imagining it). 

You knock, a steady thump of three. The response from him was quick, and you entered as soon as you heard it. He seemed surprised to see you; it looked like he hadn’t been up long (did he sleep?). 

“Y/n!” he says, sounding mildly surprised. Had he been expecting someone else? Perhaps the red ogre? “What are you doing here so early?”

You contemplate for a moment how exactly you should ask him, and offer a small hum. “Well...”

*****

_”A magisteel body?” Kaijin seems to do a double take. You figured he hadn't really been expecting the question. He strokes his beard thoughtfully, and takes a seat across the table. “I suppose that would help your...situation, if you can really move yourself into it. Have you ever even done that before?"_

_You shake your head, staring down at your hands in your lap. "No, but I think if I can I want to. This body isn't optimized for battle; one slice form an enemy and I'm down for the count. Nothing but a liability."_

_“Well, I don’t know how well I could pull that off...” He hums, and take a drink. “The last time I heard of someone building a magisteel body, it didn't end well. It would take me a good couple weeks to forge the parts, let along assemble them into a the body... if you want one immediately, it might just be best to ask Rimuru. I honestly am starting to believe he can do anything he sets his mind to...” Kaijin take a large swig of his own drink, and you frown. You certainly didn't want to have to ask Rimuru (the slime had already been doing a lot for you), but it looked like he might be your best option at the moment._

_You look back over and spot him, smiling and laughing with some goblins. He looked like he was having a good time; too good a time to interrupt. You'd wait a while then, and ask him first thing in the morning..._

*****

“Ah, I see...” Rimuru begins slowly, processing your request.

”Is it possible?” You ask, a slimmer of hope in you. He hums. 

“I think so, but I would probably have to name you in order to actually move you...”

”Name me?” You ask, confused. “I already have a name?-“ 

Rimuru waves a little slime arm, as if dismissing your notions. “No— since you aren’t exactly human, you technically haven’t been literally named yet; that’s the way things go in this world. Me naming you would technically relate you to me— kind of like a relationship.”

”A relationship-? Like a wife?” You ask, sweating. You weren’t sure if a new body was worth getting married over, and frankly if that were the case you might just have to deal with the clay one. Rimuru waves you off frantically.

”No, no, no! Like familial! Like sharing a last name familial! I’ll reassign your name to you, and add a new last name!”

“That still sounds kind of weird—“

You both stop when there is another knock at the door, and Rimuru and you share a look.

”Come in,” Rimuru calls. In walks the red ogre, looking particularly somber; a striking contrast to what had been happening only a few moments ago. It was almost jarring, if you do say so yourself.

He seemed surprised to see you there, but it was fleeting. 

“Ah, good morning—“ Rimuru says. “Have you made your decision?” He notices the ogre’s gaze flash to you, and he takes notice. “If you would rather, I could ask Y/n to leave.” Red seems to hesitate, but shakes his head. 

“This is fine.” He takes a moment, and draws in a long breath. “The ogres are a fighting race. We do not chafe at the thought of battling under another’s orders.” He falls to one knee before the slime, eyes down. “And the stronger the liege, the happier we are to serve. I accept last night’s offer. We ogres are now at your service.” Rimuru seems to wait for just a smidge too long before reciprocating the agreement, and you are mildly surprised by the seriousness of his tone. 

“Very well. Call your people here.” He transforms into his human form, serious expression still present. “I will now give you names that mark you as my subordinates.” Rimuru turns his gaze to you. “You too, while I’m at it.”

You weren’t really sure how the whole naming thing would work out on you; could spirits be named? It didn’t look like he had created a new body for you yet; did you need to be named before you moved? Your eyes flicker over to the red ogre, who was taking a stand. 

It didn’t take long for the rest of the ogres to gather; you stood near them in the makeshift line, but frankly you felt awkward and out of place among them. You wondered if being named with them might help you bond; after all, they’d be hanging around the village anyways. Or maybe it would just help them get along better with Rimuru; you couldn’t say. Either way, you somehow felt a bit nervous.

”Alright, let’s begin!” Rimuru says, looking down the row of creatures he would be naming. 

“P-please, not so fast!” Pink interrupts. “Naming is a very dangerous act by nature! It’s of the highest level of magic...” Dangerous? Naming was dangerous?

”Yeah, yeah, don’t worry about it,” Rimuru’s waves her off. You sweat; how could he so casually wave off her warnings? Was he self destructive or something???

”But...”

”Or do you not want me to give you a name?” Rimuru refutes.

”I d-didn’t say....”

”I have no complaints,” red adds. 

“Brother!” Pink says, looking rather surprised. 

The red one seems to ignore her, and simply smiles at Rimuru. “I’d happily accept a name.”

Rimuru nods in approval. “Then let’s get started. As a matter of fact, I had an idea of what to do from the moment I first saw you.”

The first name— Shion, for the purple ogre— slipped by his lips, and he immediately fell into a puddle on the floor.

”Rimuru!” You say, rushing over. Words are still puttering from his mouth— names, you assume— and you hardly manage to catch them.

”...Y/n Tempest...” the words go silent, and you’re suddenly staring at a blank gelatinous blob. 

[Would you like to accept command from the individual Rimuru Tempest in a naming act? Yes/No]

You blink, confused what that could possibly mean, but answer ‘yes’ either way. The effect was immediate; you could swear you felt a surge of... well, something, presumably magicules. But you knew well that your name was now y/n tempest and there would be no changing that; you weren’t sure what all this could lead to, but you figured you were better off for it either way.

You hadn’t realized it, but one of the ogres had went and found Rigurd to tell him about Rimuru’s sleep. They were quick to take care of him; you noticed especially that Shion and the pink one (did you catch Rimuru say Shuna? That was probably her name then) were more than ready to provide their services. You would have helped, but you figured you’d just get in the way of the others trying to take care of him. 

You step out of the tent, and a sigh leaves your lips. The fuss they put up for Rimuru was... a bit much to handle, if you were being honest, but you were glad they were looking after him. You duck around the other side of the tent— away from the doorway— and take a seat, listening to the chaos inside. You weren't really sure how long it took for things to calm down; maybe half an hour before everything was situated. 

You could technically hear snippets of their conversation, but they were mostly just empty background noise to you. You reveled in the sunlight around you; the intense warmth made you tired. Your eyes drifted shut, and you could hear the distant sounds of the camp and forest. They seemed so far away; like you just might be dreaming right that instant. Even these sensations were muted; the ground beneath your fingers was only barely there, being honest. 

[Skills acquired: Black Lightning. Thought Communication. Mild mimicry. Magic Sense.]

[Resistances acquired: Electrical impulse. Heat. ]

You jump, eyes shooting open. The voice had been sudden, shrill against the calm rest you were beginning to slip under. It didn't sound like Tutor; he didn't typically speak unprompted. This sounded like a woman, and your eyes fly back and forth across the expansion of forest a short distance from you. Why was it so familiar then?...

"Are you also waiting for master to wake up?" 

You turn, and look to see Ranga standing a short distance away. You smile softly at him, and give a curt nod.

"Yeah, sort of— this is a good spot for a nap though," You joke. He nods in agreement.

"It is a most comfortable spot for resting. Might I join you?" He asks. You immediately grin and nod, scooting away so he might lay next to you. To your surprise, he comes and curls up right around you, somehow larger than you recalled him being moments ago (not that you were complaining). You hesitantly lean back against him, and wait to see if he would object. When he doesn't, you fully relax into his fur. You stare at the cloudless sky, as though it would provide you with the purpose of life itself; unfortunately, you received no response from it. However, you were rather comfortable, and honestly this was about as relaxing as you figured you could get with Rimuru out of commission. 

*****

You were spending a lot of time with Ranga; he seemed rather fond of you, and you enjoyed lathering him with affections while his Master was down for the count. You had woken the next day to find him awaiting you at your door.

"I thought you said you were going to stay by Rimuru's tent?" You ask, curious as to his presence. It certainly wasn't unwelcome, but it was very unexpected. You absentmindedly scratch behind his ear, and you can see his tail wag.

"I figured it would be fine to come and greet you good morning before I return to Master." He stands. "Are you also going to come and stay by him?"

You shake your head, thoughts trailing back to the already crowded tent.

"I might check in on him later today, but for now I should probably go see if there's something I can do around here..."

Ranga nods, standing quickly. "Very well! Please make sure you stop and grab some breakfast from the kitchen!" He turns and walks away, but you can see the pep in his step. He certainly was in a good mood. Taking only a moment to heed his advice, you make your way quickly to the makeshift kitchen, where breakfast was generally shared. You noticed that the goblins in particular enjoyed eating together in groups, even if they themselves were typically alone. 

You knock the door a couple times as you enter, and a few sets of eyes turn and look at you. You are surprised when you are greeted excitedly by Haruna. 

"Morning, Miss y/n!" She practically drags you over to a table where her and several other Goblinas are. You, mildly confused as to the sudden enthusiasm, only manage to greet her quickly in return. The conversation immediately jump started.

"Is it true you got the brunt of that encounter yesterday?"

"Not really-"

"Are you named for real now?"

"I think so?-"

"The guys were pretty handsome, right?"

"Um-"

"Girls, girls, at least let her eat," Haruna scolds lightly, and she hands you some breakfast. You personally were at a loss for words, and grateful for her intervention. You weren't actually sure how accurately you could answer their questions, and besides that...

"You all met the ogres yourselves, why didn't you just ask them?" You ask bluntly, taking a small bite of your food. A goblina named Harune (actually, when you think about it, all these names had patterns, didn't they? Rimuru must have ran out of name ideas quickly) waves you off bashfully.

"No way! That's too brash!"

"It's easier to just ask you anyways, y/n!" Another, Haruhi, pipes in, grinning jokingly. 

"Ah, so I'm just an informant then?" You joke right back, and a fit of giggles erupts around the table. It was a rather casual atmosphere; you could reminisce in this feeling forever. Just a nice morning, surrounded by friends, talking and laughing. A small smile crept onto your lips. This life couldn't be all that bad, after all.

"Y/n Tempest."

The voice made you jump, and your head swung around to face the person responsible. It looked like the blue ogre, but... was he slimmer than before? And less, well...blue, too. Their naming was taking effect then, right? You momentarily wonder why nothing has changed about yourself, but he promptly begins again.

"Hakuro seeks an audience with you this afternoon; you'll find him with the the Goblin Riders." With that, the man seemed to disappear into shadows. You blink, still mildly confused by this encounter. 

"Hey hey, what's this about Tempest?" A Goblina pipes up next to you, gently nudging you in the ribs. "Did Lord Rimuru really give you two names?"

"You must be special! Are you Lord Rimuru's wife now?"

"No!" You spit out immediately, defensive. You feel the flush of embarrassment buzz in your face when all of them stare at you, surprised. "I'm not his wife, he just gave me a familial name." A moment of silence passes, as if they are processing this information.

"So you're like a sister then!" Harune concludes. A wave of agreement passes across the table. You sweat. Somehow that doesn't really feel right either... "Do we start calling you Lady Y/n then?"

"Please just call me Y/n," You refute, waving off the notion immediately. The formality would just make you feel awkward; besides, you didn't really consider yourself in charge at all, and most definitely not in the sense related to Rimuru. That was the last thing you needed.

"Oh, speaking of new, we have a surprise for you!" Haruna speaks up, looking rather excited. You perk up at the mention of a surprise.

"Huh?"

You were suddenly once again being whisked away to some random location ( you only barely managed to wharf down the last of your breakfast). The building they took you to was familiar; you were promptly shoved inside with some farewells from other Goblinas (they apparently had other business to attend to). Haruna pulls you further inside, and hands you some neatly folded clothing. 

"We put together a temporary outfit for you!" You gingerly set down the pile, and unfold it. It was the same style the goblin's wore; arm and legs covers and all. The fur was surprisingly soft. You weren't sure how well it would go over your clay body, but it was better than nothing. You smile at Haruna, grateful. 

"Thank you."

"Of course!" She nudged you into a backroom with the garments, obviously insistent on you changing right that instant. "Go ahead and put them on, Garm and Kaijin have something for you as well!"

"Them too?" You ask, even as the curtain closes. You stare down at yourself, wondering how you should go about this. 

"Yeah, they said you asked for something a while back, and they finished it up now!"

You hum, acknowledging her response. _Maybe if I just concentrate really hard..._

You were surprised when the make-shift beginner garb melted away and there you stood, naked as could be.

[Skill acquired: Form Shift]

There was that voice again; perhaps it was just some sort of indicator or something. Whatever it was, you had gained that 'Form Shift', which was probably a good thing. Either way, you pull on the clothes quickly. They were kind of loose, but you figured that was intentional. They didn't stick to your body like you had anticipated they would, which was a good thing; although arguably the real test was keeping it that way.

You push the curtain aside, and step out; you find Haruna and Rigur there, and both look at you. 

"Oh, they suit you well!" Haruna gushes, rushing over and straightening out the knot on the belt. You smile.

"Thanks."

"So you finally got situated then," Rigur begins, a grin of his own evident. "Lord Rimuru even named you, I hear."

"Well, I suppose that's one way to put it," You respond. Word sure did spread quickly regarding naming; maybe it was a direct result of Rimuru's blatant recklessness. The whole town had to know he was out for a few days, right?

"I'm getting ready to head out and do a patrol with some others; would you like to come along? I think it might be good experience for you," He suggests suddenly, switching the topic.

"Ah, sorry... Haruna told me Garm and Kaijin wanted to see me, and I guess-" You pause for a moment, trying to recall his name-"Hakuro? Wanted me to see him this afternoon for one reason or another." You smile apologetically. "Maybe some other time?" 

"Ah, of course. Hakuro must want you to join Gobuta for sword practice then." He laughs it off, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Right, well, off I go." You waved over your shoulder and went in a hurry to where you would find the dwarves, but you could swear you heard Rigur heave a heavy sigh behind you. 

The walk was short; when you entered, the dwarves were busy, as per usual. 

"Ah, y/n!" Kaijin says, looking up. To your surprise, the largest of the ogres peeks around a corner as well; although arguably he too looked smaller than before, even a bit... average. "I've been expecting you!" Kaijin seems to notice your curious gaze on the ogre. "Oh! This is Kurobee, but I'm sure you already know that-" You didn't, so you were glad he was telling you. "-he does blacksmithing too, can you believe that? Quite a talented fellow!" Kaijin stands, walking over to a corner of the shop. He comes back to you and holds out something wrapped in cloth. "Rigur told us that Lord Rimuru granted you a sword, so my brothers and I decided to make you a little something!" You carefully take it from him, and unwrap the cloth. Your eyes widen.

It was a sheath; a beautiful one at that. The leather was decorated with fine handiwork; even the metal band and cap were delicately etched. You almost wondered at how someone could have gotten something so detailed done in such short amount of time. 

"...I don't know how I can possibly thank you," You say, at a loss for words. He lets out a loud, boisterous laugh, and gives you a pat on the back that nearly knocks you off balance. 

"Don't worry about it. Consider it a gift from us to you." He goes to sit back at his work station. You hang the sheath from your makeshift belt, and waving goodbye to both Kaijin and Kurobee, you leave. You vaguely glance up at the sun, and figure it's about 11. You could probably go find Hakuro at around noon; you had about an hour to waste. Your excursion with Kaijin had taken much less time than you would have figured; you vaguely felt bad for turning down Rigur's offer. Deciding it was probably a good time to go exploring, at the very least, you leave into the nearby forest to wander about. Actually, now might be a good time to try that skill-- Black Lightning. You had gained it because of Rimuru naming you, right? From what you figured it was natural for named monsters to gain the abilities of the one naming them, but then wouldn't that categorize you as a monster in this world?

Shaking your head and deciding not to think too much about it, you speed your pace into the forest. You figured it would be best for you to keep a fair distance from the campsite for this, if what you had seen of the skill from Rimuru was anything to go off of. 

Looking back and deciding you were far enough out, you hold out a hand, and furrow your brow. How did one summon magic? Just... go for it? You focus and try and imagine lightning pouring from your finger tips. A moment passes. Another.

There's nothing.

_Hey, Tutor._

[Yes?]

_Why can't I summon the lightning?_

[The clay making up your body lacks enough moisture content to properly conduct electricity, and is mostly annulling what electricity is being conducted.]

_You've gotta be kidding me._ You glare at your own hand, frustrated. _So I have to be wet? Do I just pat myself down with some water then?_ You vaguely recalled watching a ceramics video at one point where they sprayed the clay with water for some reason or another, so you should be able to do that with your own body. You look around, seeing if you could find any nearby sources of water. You recall find, and try to use it; to your relief, it works immediately. The space on it looked much larger than it had before-- maybe it's because of your sudden upgrades.

"Ah, let's see... I'm looking for water..." You mutter out loud, scanning the image in your head. To your surprise, sudden highlights seem to pop up in various places on the map; small arrows pointing towards them, like goal points. You were pleasantly surprised; you could quite literally find anything specified with this skill, then. Out of curiosity, you try something else. "Birds?" Smaller, multitudes of glowing marks pop up in your field of vision, and a few of them are moving rather quickly about. You can't help the grin that spreads on your lips. Goodbye to losing things forever! This would make your life WAY easier in so many different senses.

Then that leaves things like thought communication-- which you probably couldn't try without someone else--, mild mimicry (why just 'mild?'), and...

[Boss.]

"Boss?" You ask aloud. You couldn't recall acquiring that skill; did it make you like a videogame boss or something?

['Boss': a Unique skill which allows the user to break and accept contracts between themselves and another, or groups of other monsters. It also allows the user to control 'lackeys' who provide power boosts.]

You stare at the ground thoughtfully; it was certainly a useful skill, but that lackey part... it seemed sketchy at best. You weren't sure you could bring yourself to actually take control of anyone, regardless of whatever 'power boost' it provided to you. Although you supposed desperate situations would call for desperate measures, at times...

Troubled but also curious, you drift away into your thoughts, wondering how you could test your new remaining skills. 

*****

The time seemed to fly. You made your way to where Hakuro was mentioned to have been; the clearing was quite easy to locate using Find. You were met with quite the scene; literally. Gobuta flew into you at a surprising speed just as you were stepping out into view, and the both of you went tumbling back quite a ways. You sit up quickly, a bit annoyed at the sudden greeting.

"What the hell, Gobuta?"

"Ah, pardon the hello." You look up at the person speaking, and notice it's the old ogre (except he appeared far younger now). "I wasn't expecting you to be there, I was so caught up in training these youngsters!" 

"It's ok," You answer hesitantly, and haul yourself back onto your own two feet. "Your name now is Hakuro, right?"

"As Lord Rimuru chose it, yes." He turns back to the empty field, and you notice other goblins littered haphazardly about. Somehow it made you nervous for whatever he might have in mind for you; from the looks of it, he was the merciless kind of teacher. _Didn't I have a professor like that in university?_ You shudder at the thought. That class had been a living hell.

"I take it Souei was the one to inform you?" He asks, nudging a goblin with his foot. They only groan in response. 

"If you mean that blue guy, yes, he did," You answer, shuffling uncomfortably in your spot. You felt tense, despite how lighthearted the atmosphere should have been. Hakuro looks over at you, and blinks slowly. He smiles at you, as if attempting to ease you.

"I suppose you might still be uncomfortable with us; I have no ill will towards you, Y/n." His gaze hardens. "However, I would like to offer a bit of training, if you are willing to take it." 

You knew you should practice; training could only benefit you. Who knew when you might need it, anyways.

"Of course I accept," You say. You pull out your sword, and he smirks at you.

"Ah, youth; very well then. You hobgoblins are dismissed." There is a unanimous cheer from the grounded goblins at his announcement. For having been down for the count only moments ago, they certainly got up and left quickly. He gets down into a fighting stance, one hand on his sword. He hardly seemed to wait to begin; you couldn't see him, but you knew he moved behind you. You swivel on your heel, and your sword meets his own. He doesn't let up, and it's honestly it's all you can do to block him. 

[Would you like to run analysis on the movements of Hakuro?]

You barely manage to sputter out a 'yes' to Tutor before you have to stumble back and away form a powerful swing of Hakuro's katana. 

You, in the hassle of the moment, didn't notice a two sets of eyes watching from a distance.

"What do you make of her?" The red ogre, now named Benimaru, asks Souei.

"She is skilled; certainly she has just as much potential as Hakuro sees in her." HIs answer was straight-forward, as they always had been since even their youth. 

Benimaru frowns; he wasn't opposed to working with her, certainly, but there was just something bothering him about her. It was a particular irritancy that seemed to itch at the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. It made little sense, considering they should be working together under Lord Rimuru. Was it her second name, despite her apparent weakness? No; he left his foolish pride behind when he accepted the offer. Was it the fact she was a spirit being? No; the hobgoblins didn't bother him, despite being different from himself; he wouldn't be able to carry such prejudice for the ones who welcomed them so dearly. Perhaps it was the way she seemed to gain things so easily; she was a walking prodigy, and yet she still could do so little. Shaking it off, Benimaru turns away from the rampant scene before him, ignoring how much Hakuro had begun to increase the pace since the sparring session began. 

*****

You were tired. The training had ran into the evening the day before, and by the time you returned, you had immediately went to your tent and laid down to rest. You were glad for your body; if you were still in your old body, you doubted you'd have been able to get up this morning. As far as still be tired, well... you figured it must just be a psychological thing. At the very least, Tutor had managed to analyze a huge sample of Hakuro's attacks, so you were certain you could replicate them if given the chance.

You were just finishing throwing on your jacket so that you could go get breakfast when there was a sharp pounding on your door; you answer to find an eager looking Rigurd there. 

"Lord Rimuru has awoken!" He says. You grin, thank him for the news, and snatch your sword out of your tent. You rush over to Rimuru's dwelling, half speed walking and half cinching your sword to your waist.

"Rimuru!" You say, bursting in with hardly a thought. You are met with 5 sharp gazes, and it takes all of your will not to shy away from their stares. In your excitement, you snatch Rimuru right out of Shion's lap, a wide grin on your face. 

"I'm glad you're feeling better!" You say, holding him at eye level with yourself. He seems to perk up a bit.

"Thanks, I'm glad to be back!" You blink, mildly surprised, when Shion snatches him away from you, some sort of pout on her lips.

"I will gladly keep hold of Lord Rimuru, thank you." You only blink at her, a bit confused. Your eyes trail down to Rimuru, who is resting quite snuggly below her breasts. _Doesn't he look a little too cozy?_

"I came as soon as Rigurd told me Lord Rimuru was awake again," a rather sprite looking Kurobee says, coming in the still open door. "I'm so glad yer up and running' again. You recognize me? I'm Kurobee." He rubs the back of his neck, making a quick introduction of himself. Rimuru seems to perk up when he sees him. 

"Let's be good friends, Kurobee," Rimuru says, particularly enthusiastic. You can't help but wonder a bit what caused his sudden pique in mood.

As if something hit him suddenly, Rimuru turns towards you.

"Oh, Y/n! I almost forgot your request!"

"Request?" Shion jumps in, sounding curious. Rimuru seems to ruffle at her question.

"Shoot, isn't that kind of personal..." He trails off, looking to you for clarification. You wave the notion off; you didn't see any harm in letting the ogres-

[Oni, now.]

- _Oni, right._ You didn't see any harm in letting the Oni know about your plans.

"I asked Rimuru if he could construct a body for me out of magisteel, it's really no big deal."

"A magisteel body?" Kurobee asks, sounding rather surprised.

"Oh my," Shuna says quietly. You grin sheepishly, and scratch the back of your neck out of sheer habit. 

"I figure it would be better than this clay body, at the very least; maybe I could keep up with you all in battle," you say. Hakuro chuckles.

"I'd like to see you try."

"In any case," Rimuru interrupts, just as you might have come up with a quick quip, "It's probably a good time for me to get out and move around." He shifts into his human form, and stretches his reformed limbs. "Maybe it'd be a good time for some quick training, yeah?"

You swear you saw Gobuta pale as he was walking by.

*****

You sat down to keep out of Rimuru's way; he was the one who had requested the training, in any case, so Hakuro should focus on him. Well, at least that's what you thought. Honestly he seemed a bit underwhelmed with the goblins, and Rimuru was hardly even focusing. You were sitting beneath a nearby tree, watching and listening closely. You perk up at the mention of something called an 'orc lord.'

"What is that?" Rimuru asks, jumping away from a loosely run swing. 

"Well, to put it simply..." Benimaru follows by Rimuru; the whole effort seemed half-hearted, being honest with yourself. "It's a monster." You roll your eyes; put like that everyone here was a monster. You look down at your own hand, and blink. _Even me._

"Oh, come on. By that definition, wouldn't Hakuro over there be an Orc Lord too?"

"Actually, he is similar in a way."

"Oh, that is quite the remark!" Hakuro turns sharply to Rimuru, practice sword at the ready. "Let us not forget, this training is by your request, Lord Rimuru." 

Rimuru's own swords wavers, and he smiles nervously at Hakuro. "I think I could use a break."

"Very well, then."

They wandered closer to you, standing under the shade a bit ahead of you. You ignored the strange look Benimaru gave you (it did mildly bother you-- you didn't recall doing anything that should elicit that distrustful glare), and kept your gaze ahead on the training being done. However, your ears were trained on the nearby conversation. 

"...I am joking, of course." Benimaru crosses his arms and turns his attention (and glare) away from you. "An orc lord is a unique monster that is only born once every few centuries. It apparently has a fearsome ability to lead its people, due to the way it can devour their sense of fear."

If you weren't mistaken, you heard a small sound of dismay from Rimuru. Hakuro continued to beat the goblins senseless (which was putting it lightly, all things considered). 

Benimaru places a finger to his chin, as if thinking. "When the orcs attacked our village, they did not falter when we killed their kin. That is when I began to suspect."

"I see." 

Slinging his false sword over his shoulder, Benimaru sighs. "In short, it's an extremely rare and unlikely situation."

"So, any ideas?" Rimuru asks. "Why do you think they attacked your village?"

You blink, mildly surprised when Gobuta manages to get behind Hakuro for an attack... only to be beaten back down instantly. 

"Well, I don't know if they are related... but just before the attack, a Majin came to the village and said "I will give you names."" You stiffen; a Majin, then? First some horrific thing called an orc lord, then a Majin... "When I and all the others rebuffed him, he spat curses at us as he left."

"So you think he may have had a reason to want to destroy you?" Rimuru concludes.

"The blame is not ours. Our kind has no need of a master who does not suit us." Benimaru hums to himself. "What was his name again? Something like Gel... Gul..."

"Gelmud." A stoic voice interrupts. You jump at his sudden appearance next to you. You weren't sure you'd ever get used to that guy's sudden appearances. 

"Yes, that was it." Benimaru confirms. 

"What brings you here, Souei?" Rimuru asks, his gaze (well, whatever sort of gaze he could have in slime form) trained on the man before him. 

"I have a report to deliver, my lord." You look at him just from the corner of your eye, but even that was enough to tell he exuded seriousness in all aspects. "I witnessed a troop of lizardmen. They make their home in the wetlands, and it is not normal to see them ranging out this far. I thought it appropriate to inform you." Lizardmen? Your day was only getting weirder, considering it had started out well enough. 

"Lizardmen? Not orcs?" Rimuru asks, making sure. 

"No, my Lord. It seems they are attempting negotiations at a nearby goblin village. They may come here eventually."

A certain contemplation hung in the air; you furrow your brow. Maybe it was just the weight of new information; all this talk of an orc lord gave you a sinking feeling in the pit of your (nonexistent) stomach.

"Lord Rimuru!" You look and see Shion with a brilliant grin on her face. "Lunch is now ready to eat. I helped with the cooking."

"Ah, thank you Shion," Rimuru begins. He looks at you, Benimaru, and Souei. "You three should join us." You didn't miss the way Benimaru stiffened immediately, or the way Souei seemed to instantaneously disappear.

"No, I'll pass, thanks...…" Benimaru immediately waves off the notion. Rimuru looks at you, and Shion stares down expectantly as well. You feel like there might've been a reason for their reactions, but you really have no immediate excuse. You stand, and nod.

"Sure, I could go for a bite to eat."

You follow a few paces behind the pair, and look at over the whining goblins; the breeze drags itself across your body, as though to remind you that you were there, in this particular moment. Something about the near cloudless blue sky and sunshine left a strangely empty feeling in your chest. It was so...peaceful. It felt calm, despite the impending chaos. 

Peace only lasts so long.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	5. Pride's Reward

"Today's the first day you decided to prepare lunch for us, Shion." Rimuru quite blatantly states.

"That's right," Shion responds rather giddily. You hum.

"Yeah, come to think of it, you haven't really cooked at all..." You trail off. Something wasn't really adding up here, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it.

"Usually Lady Shuna helps in the kitchen, but because she was busy producing clothes, I figured that meant the kitchen could use an extra pair of hands. Gobuichi insisted it wasn't necessary, though."

"Huh..." You note dully. You could swear you felt a nervous 'good luck' being drilled into your mind.

"Shall we stop and see Shuna?" Rimuru suggests.

"Sure!"

The walk to the building where Shuna and the dwarves resided wasn't particularly long; when your little group arrives, they were talking about silk.

"This is fantastic! You've already got silk production up and running?" Rimuru says as you enter.

Shuna immediately seems to perk up, and she rushes over. "I'm so glad you've come to visit me, Lord Rimuru."

Your eyes trail away from the conversation and to the material rolls on the table. You walk around Shuna (you weren't part of the conversation anyways, and none of them really seemed to notice) and up to the table, looking down at the silk before you. You look over at Garm.

"May I?" You ask, reaching out for the fabric. Garm shrugs.

"I don't see why not."

Immediately you take the fabric between your hands, and it sifts around smoothly. It was obviously very high quality-- or at the very last better than any of the cheap synthetic silk you had seen in your previous life. This was probably worth more than you'd made in your whole adult life.

"We should be on our way, my Lord," Shion says, smiling. "Your lunch will get cold." You perk at the mention of food; in your awe, you had almost forgotten where you had been heading. 

"Are you undertaking the secretarial work like you were asked, Shion?" Shuna asks skeptically. You could swear you heard a a kind of annoyance in her voice. 

"Of course, my lady."

The aura that swelled was intensely frightening, and you sweat at the atmosphere that dropped. How... _annoying._

"I could take care of Lord Rimuru for a bit, if you want." Shuna's smile was pressed, despite her lighthearted words.

"That will not be necessary. I've got the situation entirely under control." Shion's grin wasn't much better. You hold back a snicker at the stretched slime; it really is a good thing he's elastic. He seems to look at you, and you shake your head. _You're on your own for this one, pal._

"Um...Shuna?" He begins. "I have something to ask you."

"...oh!" Shuna seems to snap out of her mood immediately. "Yes?"

Rimuru shifts into his human form. "There we go." He waltzes over to where you are, and grabs some boards and a pencil. You lean over on of his shoulders, and see that he is drawing clothing designs. "Can you make clothes for me, too? I could use some nice, everyday outfits and such. Like these."

"Of course I will, Lord Rimuru." You didn't miss the absolute bliss and adoration in her eyes as she spoke. "I'm going to put together the most wonderful wardrobe for you." You gently tap her shoulder, and she turns to you with a questioning look. You shuffle awkwardly, knowing you must have knocked her out of whatever stupor she had been in. "If you happen to have any spare material, would you mind making me an outfit as well?"

"Oh, of course! You can draw up a design-" She walks over to grab another board for you to draw on, but you wave off the notion.

"It doesn't really need to be made immediately, it's just a side thought."

"Don't you have a preference for the design?" She asks, confused. You smile softly at her, and shake your head.

"How about I leave it to you? I'll trust your opinion," You say. She seems a bit surprised.

"Just like that?" She asks.

You reach up and gingerly ruffle her hair, avoiding her horns. "Yeah; I did say just to use any extra stuff you have, anyways."

"You too, Garm and Dord." Rimuru adds, turning away from the scene. He didn't miss the way Shuna brightened at your words, especially 'trust'; it brought a smile to his face. "And don't take advantage of any opportunities to touch her butt," he adds sternly. You grin at the dwarves' nervous response to that. Turning to leave, Rimuru addresses you and Shion. "Shall we go? I'd hate for your cooking to go to waste, Shion."

*****

_No... it can't be!_

You thought you had an idea of what hell was. But now, staring it down, you knew that anything would be better than this. You'd pass three more times in your last world before taking on this....devil. This evil was all consuming, something so wicker it should never see the light of day.

It was...

food?

[It's poisonous.]

You couldn't tell if you were staring down this food, or if the food was staring you down. Was it MOVING-

You look up, and Rimuru's panicked eyes meet your own. 

"Please do eat up, my lord. Y/n." Shion presents you both with silverware. She looked so... happy. How could she plot to kill you both and still have the gall to smile to your faces?!

You whip your gaze around and notice Benimaru nervously looking away from you both. He was sipping quietly from the cup in his hand. _He knew?!_ Vaguely, you'd swear you could see Hakuro there too; what kind of magic trick was he trying to pull?! Was he trying to avoid trouble with Rimuru? 

You sweat, staring down at the fuming poison before you. You furrow your brow. _Wait, can I even be poisoned?_

[Because your body converts food to magicules, you cannot die from eating it. You might feel sluggish, but I can't guarantee it won't be somewhere in-between those two results, or guarantee it will taste the best.]

You grit your teeth. Wasn't there anything you could do? She just kept looking at you both with such excitement... you were wrestling with yourself. Making her feel well for her efforts was one thing, but was it really worth it?!?

You scoop up a bit of it in your spoon, and you see Rimuru do the same. He looks at you, appearing particularly nervous. You could practically see his eyes screaming 'Don't do it! We're too young to die again!'

You lift the spoon to your lips slowly; the stench was putrid. Shion watched you closely, and you gulp down the bite as quickly as possible to try and avoid the taste. Your body is wracked by an intense shudder; Rimuru watches with wide eyes as you seem to freeze before his eyes. The stench was awful, but if someone took manure and rolled it in toxic waste... it probably would have tasted better than this. You cough, and some of the purple fumes spew from your mouth. When did your body get so heavy?

You lean against the table to keep yourself upright. You stare down at the remaining food, and curse yourself. Never again.

"See, Y/n liked it! Right, y/n?" Shion doesn't wait for your to respond before she turns back to Rimuru. "Please try some, Lord Rimuru!" Rimuru still looked horrified by what had occurred to you, and he stares down at his own spoon with what could only be described as desperation. To yours and the other's surprise, he swings the spoonful around to his right-- directly into Gobta's mouth. 

The goblin went flying across the room, foaming at the mouth. He fell, and twitched to a slow standstill. His body stopped moving. You are only barely able to turn your head to properly acknowledge him. _He has suffered a far worse fate... I shall mourn my fallen brethren..._

There is a long, drawn out silence. 

"Shion." Rimuru begins firmly, breaking the silence. She seems to jump at the mention of her name.

"Y-yes?" She stutters out. 

He jabs his thumb in the direction of the red oni over his shoulder. "The next time you want to serve food or beverages to to others, you must get Benimaru's approval first." You could practically feel the panic from Benimaru jump off him. You turn a hollow gaze up to him, and his eyes flash from you to Rimuru in disbelief. 

"I have been avenged..." You sputter out, only half joking. _That's what you get for not giving us proper warning..._

*****

You still felt a bit hazy, but it hadn't taken long for the effects of Shion's cooking. You could still kick yourself for wanting to spare her feelings; you supposed old habits died hard, even after reincarnation. 

"Here," Rigurd says, handing you a cup of water. You take it with a small smile, and nod a thanks before downing it. You could swear the taste still lingered; you sigh. Surprisingly, Gobta was fine too; you were about 70% sure that food had killed him. On the plus side, he had apparently gained a poison resistance (though somehow you figured real poison would still have been better for him then whatever Shion had tried to feed you). You were about to head off to find Rimuru, when one of the Goblin riders came up in a rush to Rigurd.

"Sir!" He spat out, obviously out of breath. "There's an envoy from the Lizardmen here saying they want to talk to the person in charge." You blink; so the previously seen Lizardmen had finally arrived then? They must be looking to strike a deal with the village. Rigurd nods, and he turns and heads briskly off- presumably to find Rimuru. You stand (and stumble over a small rock whilst cursing the wooziness you still felt) to follow him, and you both make your way to the blacksmith's hut. Sure enough, there he was, sat on a stool next to Kurobei and Kaijin. 

"Lord Rimuru..."

The slime turns in his seat. "What is it, Rigurd?"

"We've got trouble. An envoy from the Lizardmen has come to the village." Rimuru seems to leap into action.

"I'll be there immediately." He hops up towards you, and despite your mild surprise, you catch him. He fits rather snugly in your arms; you were a bit surprised he hadn't leapt for Rigurd instead. "Kaijin, Kurobei, you'll have to tell me the rest some other time." There was a quiet 'of course' from both of them, and you turned and walked away with Rimuru.

"Lord Rimuru." Rimuru turns in your arms; you see the oni standing there. Benimaru was the one who spoke up. "I heard about the situation. Might we attend this meeting, too? I wish to know what the lizardmen are after."

"Of course." You begin on your way again with Rimuru's words. "We'll find out if they're friend or foe..."

You, of course, were surprised when there was only one lizardman at the village entrance.

"...Huh? Wait, is it just the one?" Quite obviously, Rimuru thought the same. The one at the entrance whishes a staff in the direction of the road, and you see a distant group come waltzing in. One of them on a... larger lizard? Dramatically leaps off his steed and lands with a loud 'swoosh' of his cape. It took all you had not to scoff out loud at the entire scene. This is just too much...

"I highly advise that you commit this face to memory," one of them begins, motioning the the overly dramatic caped one. "You are in the presence of the warrior who will soon be the chieftain of the lizardman people." The next chieftain?..

"My name is Gabiru!" He begins, taking a long and deep breath. He puffs his chest. "And I come bearing a priceless gift- the opportunity to become my subordinates!"

You immediately deadpan. _Arrogant prick._ You look around and see that the consensus is generally the same among your peers.

Rigurd is the first to speak up. "Forgive me... you called yourself Gabiru, right? This request to serve you is rather sudden..." Well, Rigurd was at least attempting to hold up diplomacy. Gabiru seems to become peeved with the lack of applause, because he sighs and loses his pose.

"Good grief. Must I really explain everything to you?" Gabiru, as he called himself, sighs. "The orcs are on the march through the forest." Well, at least that explains what they're doing here... Gabiru points his snout to the sky, and motions to himself. "So it behooves you to work under my command! For I, Gabiru, shall protect you from the orcish menace! For you tiny, helpless, goblins are unable to withstand their terror, I daresay. You defenseless weaklings..." He looks down, peeking between his fingers. His eye rakes across the group, and you glare as his gaze passes across from Rigurd to you and Shion (to which he says 'wow'; it certainly didn't help his case), then Benimaru and Hakuro. He seems to pause, before he has a meeting with his little group. "Where are the goblins?" He asks.

"That's weird..."

"But our information said this was a goblin village?"

If none of the Oni would deck this overgrown gecko, you certainly would. If looks could kill he would have been dead three times over again from your eyes alone. 

Gabiru suddenly clears his throat and addresses your group again. "I have heard there is someone amongst you who has tamed the direwolves." He holds up a single finger and beckons to you all. "Bring him to me."

If you had calmed down before, this set you back on the edge.

You blink when a laugh comes from next to you, and look over at Benimaru. To your amazement, he seems... absolutely charming? What was he, a shoujo character?

"Can I....kill him?" He asks Rimuru, his voice calm and strangely optimistic sounding.

"Yes!" Rimuru answers immediately, obviously charmed. Benimaru cracks his knuckles, and Rimuru quickly does a double take.

"Wait! No, no, nooooo!" 

It takes all you have not to ask Rimuru why not. Really, you figured that a good punch might knock some sense into this Gabiru. Ah, well.

Rimuru sighs. "Ranga." You look down with mild surprise when Ranga leaps out of your very shadow, and you are amazed by his sheer animosity. "Listen to what he has to say," Rimuru commands.

"I will, my lord."

"Huh? Was he always that big?" Benimaru asks, vocalizing what you were thinking. You'd seen him larger before, but never quite to this extent.

"That's Ranga's true size. The effects of his tail wagging were so devastating, I scolded him into shrinking down to a smaller size." If that didn't sound like the most adorable reason to shrink down a few sizes, you didn't know what did. It gave your heart a big squeeze, and for a moment you were overtaken by the urge to lather Ranga with affections; however, you figured that needed to wait for later.

"I see..." Benimaru trails off, sounding a bit underwhelmed by that information.

"However..." Rimuru begins. "His full size is better for intimidating others." You nod, understanding. Maybe Ranga could give the lizard a good scare, knock him off his high horse a bit (so to speak- did horses exist in this world?). 

"My master has given me an order. Speak your case, and I will hear you out."

You noticed quickly that most, if not all of the other lizardmen were cowering away from Ranga in his blatant intimidation, except for Gabiru. It's probably because he has a few screws loose. You snicker quietly to yourself at the thought. 

"A-ah, are you the leader of the direwolves?" Gabiru begins to choke out. "You certainly have the proud baring of a leader. However..." However?- "It is a bit of a head-scratcher than you have a slime for a master." Now he was quite directly insulting Rimuru, and you'd be damned if you just let him insult your friend. "It seems to me that you are suffering under some kind of trickery, but no more. I shall defeat the devious one who plagues you with illusions." _Confounded, no good, stuck up-_

"-full-of-himself, snot-nosed, gecko, asshole, bastard-" The strings of insults were suddenly rolling off your tongue in quiet murmurs, and you swear you felt Rimuru shuffle uncomfortably in your arms.

"This...over-grown lizard....dares to mock my master?" The rage was coming off of Ranga in waves. You half hoped he'd take a good chunk of of this Gabiru fellow, in the midst of him reveling in the cheers of his fellow lizardmen. Suddenly, a familiar (and surprisingly cheery) voice pipes up behind you.

"Huh? What's going on over here?" Gobta pipes up.

"Gobta?!" Rimuru exclaims. 

"I thought you were on death's door!" Benimaru exclaims also. Gobta just rubs the back of his neck, looking particularly sheepish.

To your surprise, Ranga comes over and picks up Gobta by the scruff of his jacket. He sets him down in the fighting area, and Gobta (and yourself) are rather confused as to what's happening. 

"Lizard, if you can defeat this one, we will spare a thought for your story." Ranga says, nudging Gobta forwards (you noticed how everyone ignored Gobta's pleas of 'why me'). 

"If you insist. Pushing the duty onto a subordinate saves you the shame of losing." Gabiru sends a sly look at Rimuru. "Isn't that right, slime?"

Rimuru seems suddenly quite eager for the fight. "Don't hold back Gobta, get him."

"Awww man.... no really, what's going on here...?" Gobta continues. He receives no direct answer.

"If you win, I'll ask Kurobei to make you a weapon."

"Whoa, really?! That's some good motivation-"

"And if you lose, I sentence you to Shion's cooking."

You watch startled as Gobta practically becomes Super-Saiyan with determination. You couldn't really blame him though-- nobody could convince you to eat more of Shion's cooking if the fate of the world depended on it. "I'm gonna do this!!!"

"You may begin!" Ranga cuts in.

"Hah! We are the lizardmen, proud descendants of the noble dragon." _Is he really monologuing right now?_ "And no mere hobgoblin will-" You laugh when he has to jump aside from Gobta's spear. He spin around with his own weapon and tries to strike, but you just saw Gobta disappear before your very eyes. "Don't interrupt me!"

You don't really have much time to think about what was happening; Gobta appeared behind Gabiru and delivered a swift kick to the back of his head. All at once the lizardman was down for the count; everyone seemed to freeze for a few moments, especially the lizardmen lackies. Ranga seems to grin.

"It's over," he announces. "We have a winner: Gobta!"

"Well done!" Benimaru congratulates. You smile at Gobta as well, and congratulate him; you couldn't really say what you had been expecting (maybe for him to get his ass kicked, despite your hope he would knock sense into Gabiru), but you knew that he had done a good job, so you could focus on that now. 

"Good work, Gobta! Just as promised, I'll arrange things with Kurobei," Rimuru says. There's an excited whoop from Gobta before attention is put back on the still gawking lizardmen. "So, did you all witness that? Gobta won the fight. If you want to cooperate in fighting the orcs, I'll take it into consideration. But we will not be working under you. Take him away for today."

"W-we will return!" One of the lizardmen shouts, picking up one of Gabiru's arms. 

"This is not the last you've seen of us."

And with that, they seemed to scuttle away at the speed of, well, lizards. Rimuru sighs.

"With that out of the way, it's time to decide what we'll be doing next."

*****

It was later that evening when the gathering happened. Everyone was together in the central building; you could see the faces of goblins peering in through the windows, trying to catch snippets of what was going on. 

The news was grim.

"Whaaaat? 200,000 of them?!" Rimuru exclaims from his seat at the head of the table. You were sat next to him, and had thus far refrained from mentioning how strangely he was sitting in his chair, but honestly it made the grim situation seem a bit ridiculous; and any crumb of ridiculousness would help keep your sanity with this dreadful news. "You're telling me there's a giant army of 200,000 orcs marching through this forest?" Rimuru repeats, still sounding quite baffled.

"Yes..." Souei confirms plainly.

"When they attacked our village, there were only a few thousand..." Benimaru points out.

"That was just a splinter group." Souei stands and points at the makeshift map; you watch the path he makes with his finger as he speaks. "The main force is heading north along the river. And based on the way both groups are moving, I expect they'll regroup in the wetlands to the east of here... that would be the lizardman's territory." There's a heavy silence in the room.

"...I wonder what the orcs are after." Rimuru says, finally breaking it. Kaijin hums.

"Orcs are not naturally intelligent monsters." A part of you wondered at that generalization-- underestimating an enemy was a dangerous move. "If this invasion is for a purpose beyond simple instincts, then we ought to look for someone else urging them onward."

You noticed the heavy change in Rimuru's expression, however quick it might have been. "Someone like.... a demon lord?"

Apprehension seems to run through the room at those two simple words. Rimuru takes a bite of a chip, and suddenly his casual demeaner returns. "...or not. I have no evidence to suggest such a thing. Forget I said it." You would not be forgetting that he said it; it reminded you of Shizu. She was summoned by a demon lord, wasn't she? You had no doubt in your mind that his idea had something to do with locating that same demon lord.

Benimaru seems to contemplate for a moment. "It is not a demon lord...but an "Orc Lord," if my suspicions are correct. No ordinary orc is capable of leading an army of 200,000 strong."

"The one you mentioned earlier?" You begin without even thinking. You could smack yourself for practically admitting that you had listened in, but it was too late to back out of what you were saying now. "Doesn't it only come around every few centuries?"

Benimaru seems to give you a distasteful look-- no doubt in regards to the fact you had listened in-- but nods slowly. "That's the one."

"I believe we ought to take the utmost cautions, rather than assuming the best," Rigurd says.

Rimuru nods. "Agreed."

Souei suddenly seems to shuffle in his seat, and all eyes turn on him curiously. 

"Hmm? What's up, Souei?" Rimuru begins, already popping another chip in his mouth. You snatch one yourself.

"Someone made contact with one of my body doubles while on reconnaissance." Souei furrows his brow. "They sought an audience with you, Lord Rimuru. What shall we do?"

"With me?" Rimuru says, halfway through a chip. "Who is it? Honestly, I've had enough with Gabiru already. I'd rather not deal with another weirdo today."

"This one is not....'weird'," Souei begins hesitantly, as though the word was unfamiliar to him. "...but is certainly rare. It is... a dryad."

You knew what what going through his mind the moment that look of shocked bliss crossed his features. An irk of annoyance crossed you. _Stop being a perv for five seconds!_ You were surprised when Rimuru jumped, and his gaze swung in horror to you. Had he... heard you think that?

Suddenly Rimuru seemed very fidgety; he made no comment about what had just transpired, unless you were being a bit paranoid. "O-oh yeah?" He begins. "C-call her." There was a quite 'yes sir' from Souei, and suddenly a breeze seemed to kick up from the middle of the room. A whirl of glowing green swung about, looking like a miniature tornado and kicking up objects all around the room. You jumped to your feet and stood in front of Rimuru; the oni stood too, but to your surprise they stood in front of both you and Rimuru. Did they feel the need to protect you too, for some reason? Maybe it was just because they saw you as weak...

A silken voice broke out upon the room. "Greetings to you, "Ruler of Monsters" and his followers." There, in the center of the table, was an absolutely stunning woman with long hair and- well, you couldn't help but notice certain aspects of her curves. No doubt Rimuru also noticed, knowing him as you so far did. "Please forgive my sudden visit. I am Treyni the Dryad." She clasps her hands together and smiles down at you all. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I am Rimuru Tempest." He smiles at her, obviously very pleased. "It's nice to meet you, Treyni."

You could vaguely hear clatter outside-- it seemed like goblins were scrambling to catch a glimpse of her. She must be a big deal then, right?

[Correct; dryads are supreme beings of the forest, also known as the "Protector of Treants" and the "Manager of the Great Forest of Jura."]

Honestly you could have figured as much; suddenly you were mildly self-conscious. It felt like you had came to work in her pajamas and were under scrutiny by the CEO or something. Her eyes trail over you, and linger only a few moments (almost as if she were contemplating something).

"Well uh... Treyni? What brings you here today?" Rimuru cuts in. Treyni's gaze immediately switches back to Rimuru, a smooth transition that was hardly noticeable to most.

"I have come with a grave request for you." She begins. He expression remains quite cheerful despite the heavy and confirming words which fall from her lips. "Rimuru Tempest, Ruler of Monsters... I ask you to vanquish the Ord Lord."

There is a short pause from Rimuru- likely from mild shock- before he repeated what she said. "Vanquish the orc lord...?" He trails off, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Umm... me?"

"That is correct, Lord Rimuru Tempest." Treyni responds, chipper as ever. Benimaru scoffs.

"That's quite a demand, coming from someone who just waltzed in out of nowhere, "Treyni the Dryad," or so you call yourself." There was a certain bite in his words, and suddenly you recognized that his temper hadn't quite cooled all the way with his transformation. "Why have you come here? There must be other races that would be better suited than goblins."

"It is a good question." She hums. "If your ogre village were still standing now, I might have come to you for help instead." You could practically feel the weight of that drop on the oni. _Ouch._ "But even if that were the case, I do not think I could ignore the presence of the one who stands before me." She leans down to Rimuru, obviously meaning him. "If the orc lord attacks the dwelling of the Treants, we dryads alone cannot stop him. Thus, I have ventured from my home to seek the help of the mighty."

"We had only hypothesized that there was an orc lord roaming about.." Rimuru trails off, watching as Treyni dipped her hand into a bowl of chips. 

"Dryads are always aware of what occurs within the forest." She lifts a chip to her smiling mouth; you wonder how she can say everything so nonchalantly and keep that happy-go-lucky expression. "And there is most certainly an Orc Lord here." You feel alarm prickle up your back, despite her casual commentary on the taste of the chip. Hasty whispers come up amongst those at the table.

"I must ask you to wait a bit for my final answer, Treyni." Rimuru begins. "Believe it or not, I'm the boss here. I'd be willing to provide the help of the Kijin, but I'm not ready to take the initiative and lead the charge just yet. I'd prefer to gather and organize information before I commit to anything." You'd be lying if you said you didn't admire Rimuru's logical thinking; he had a tendency to see things through and through before jumping to conclusions. 

Treyni nods slowly. "...I understand." She quietly takes a seat at the table between Kaijin and Rigurd, noticeably bringing the bowl of chips closer to herself. 

"So, with that out of the way... let's continue the meeting." Rimuru continues. "Does anyone have any thoughts on what the orcs might want?"

Shuna pipes up, to your surprise. "If the existence of the Orc Lord is unquestionable, then I have one idea." She turns to Souei. "Did you inspect the ruins of our village, Souei?"

"...I did."

"And... were they empty after all?"

"They were. I did not find a single one- of ours or theirs."

You were beginning to be confused by this conversation when Rimuru finally spoke up.

"Pardon me, not a single what?"

"Dead body." Souei responds immediately. The outcry and shock of the attendees was tremendous.

"Ah, I see..." Benimaru trails off, particularly somber. "I was wondering how they were getting enough food to support an army of 200,000." You felt sick at this notion; they were... eating them?

"Indeed..." Hakuro continues. "they have no concept of supply-line logistics...."

Rimuru looked just as perturbed as you felt. "You're saying they used the bodies for..."

"The Unique Skill: Starved." Your eyes dart to Treyni; this is the first time you've seen her frown since arriving. "It is a skill that every Orc Lord is born with. It allows him to absorb the properties of any monster he eats. In that aspect, it is similar to your "predator" skill. Unlike "Predator," there is no guarantee of success in a single attempt, but as his ravenous hunger compels him to devour more and more, the odds will naturally increase."

"So the orcs' goal here isn't to destroy the higher races of the forest like the ogres and lizardmen...." Rimuru trails off.

"...it's to steal their power instead..." You finish, looking around the room. Your words were barely above a whisper, but the weight of them hung on every shoulder. 

"In that case, I suppose we're in danger, too. We've got tempest wolves, Oni, and even the hobgoblins, after all. Plenty of Juicy flavor for the orcs." Rimuru takes another bit of a chip; he was being particularly casual about it all. Then again, you'd prefer that in comparison with any form of panic; he was taking in this information quite well, all things considered.

"Are you forgetting the most tempting bait of all?" Benimaru says, eyeing Rimuru.

"Hmm?" Rimuru manages from between two duck-bill shaped chips.

"We've got the strongest slime in existence here."

"Nah, they'll ignore a dumb slime."

You noticed that sly look in Treyni's eyes as she spoke. "...is this starting to hit a little closer to home, perhaps? In addition to the birth of the Orc Lord, we have also confirmed the presence of a Majin." You perk at the very mention of Majin. "I do not believe you can ignore such a being. The Majin serves one of the demon lords, after all." You furrow your brows; she did say she knew everything in the forest, but isn't that a bit nosy? Did she know about Shizu and their reincarnation, then?

"Again I ask you to Vanquish the Orc Lord. Surely the Ward of the Storm Dragon- one who has conquered the direwolves, who acts as the patron of the Oni, and who has made a High Storm Spirit his equal-" Her eyes graze over you, and you are left mildly surprised by your own classification. "- would be a worthy match for the Orc Lord." 

You would swear you saw a nervousness cross Rimuru's expression, but Shion was bound and determined to answer, apparently. "Of course he would! That piddling Orc Lord won't stand a chance against Lord Rimuru!"

Even Rimuru looks surprised-- if not a little peeved-- at the outburst. 

"Oooh! That's very reassuring to hear!" Treyni responds, looking sly as ever. Rimuru turns to slime in Shion's arms.

"...fine, fine." He sighs. "I'll take on this Orc Lord for you. The rest of you, prepare yourselves." The response was a chorus of "of course" and suddenly everything seemed to already be falling into place-- except you. You were briefly beginning to wonder how you would fit into all this-- if the battle field was to be near the wetlands, wouldn't that mean you'd only crumble to pieces in the water? 

"I want to speak with the lizardmen, but preferably one who is reasonable." Rimuru begins, knocking you out of your thoughts. 

"Lord Rimuru," Souei pipes up, voice monotone as always. "Would you like me to negotiate with the Lizardman Chieftain directly?"

"Can...you do that?"

"Yes." He answered Rimuru as soon as the last syllable left the slime. Momentarily, though, you tried to recall what he was reminding you of... _what was the word? It was popular on otome games- ah, he looks like an ikemen! I guess he is a bit handsome._  
"Okay. We'll join up with the lizardmen to beat the orcs." Rimuru begins. "The Lizardmen make their home in the wetlands, so that's likely where the decisive battle will take place." He turns to Souei. "Our plan only works if the lizardmen are fighting alongside us as equals. Got that, Souei? Don't let them walk all over you."

"Understood." He disappears instantaneously. You turn your attention back to the map, and look at the stone Rimuru is motioning to.

"Did Souei leave that marker there?"

"Yes. It's supposed to represent Gabiru's forces, including the nearby goblins. He said they were all gathered around an unconscious Gabiru and looked depressed." Benimaru raised a brow at Rimuru. "Why do you ask?"

Rimuru moves some of the stones around, and you watch curiously. "This is how the lizardman forces are likely to deploy to fight back against the orcs. Which would mean..." He sits back, as though admiring the set up he created."...if Gabiru's forces wanted, they would be perfectly situated to bring down the Lizardman base with a quick assault." You hum, and a deep frown settles itself onto your face. There certainly were many variables at play here, and it seemed like most of them were against your favor. 

You were just contemplating how efficiently your shoes would keep your feet from crumbling in the water when Rimuru addressed you directly.

"Y/n?" He asks. You look at him, half surprised you were being singled out.

"Yeah?"

He looks back down at the map, and you swear if he was in his human form he would have furrowed his brows. "Are you ready to switch bodies?"

**TO BE CONTINUED....**


End file.
